• Adults taking Mounjaro in a clinical trial lost on average 48 lb. at the highest dose^1,2
• Mounjaro delivered superior A1C reductions versus all comparators in phase 3 SURPASS clinical trials^6-12
• Mounjaro represents a new class of obesity and diabetes medicines and is expected to be available in Hong Kong as early as the end of this year

Hong Kong’s Department of Health approved Eli Lilly Asia, Inc.’s Mounjaro^® (tirzepatide) in KwikPen^® presentation, the first and only obesity and type 2 diabetes treatment of its kind that activates both GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) hormone receptors.¹

Mounjaro is indicated for adults with obesity (with a BMI of 30 kg/m² or greater), or those who are overweight (with a BMI of 27 kg/m² or greater) and also have weight-related medical problems such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea or cardiovascular disease, to lose weight and keep it off. It should be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Mounjaro is also indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus as monotherapy when metformin is considered inappropriate due to intolerance or contraindications or in addition to other medicinal products for the treatment of diabetes.¹

Obesity and diabetes are chronic diseases that can result in serious health complications, including heart disease, hypertension and stroke ^3,4. As the first and only Hong Kong-approved, once-weekly GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist, Mounjaro is a single molecule that activates the body's receptors for GIP and GLP-1, which are natural incretin hormones.

The approval was based on results from the phase 3 SURMOUNT and SURPASS trials. In SURMOUNT-1, a study in 2,539 adults with obesity, or excess weight and weight-related medical problems not including diabetes, people taking Mounjaro as an adjunct to diet and exercise experienced substantial weight loss compared with placebo at 72 weeks. At the highest dose (15 mg), people taking Mounjaro lost on average 48 lb., while at the lowest dose (5 mg), people lost on average 34 lb. (compared to 7 lb. on placebo).^1,2

Additionally, 1 in 3 patients taking Mounjaro at the highest dose lost over 58 lb. (25% of body weight), compared to 1.5% on placebo, according to data not controlled for type 1 error. ^1,2

In phase 3 SURPASS program, efficacy was evaluated for Mounjaro 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg used alone or in combination with commonly prescribed diabetes medications, including metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors, sulfonylureas and insulin glargine. Participants in the SURPASS program achieved average A1C reductions between 1.8% and 2.1% for Mounjaro 5 mg and between 1.7% and 2.4% for both Mounjaro 10 mg and Mounjaro 15 mg.^6-12

"Mounjaro delivered superior and consistent A1C reductions against all of the comparators throughout the SURPASS program, which was designed to assess Mounjaro's efficacy and safety in a broad range of adults with type 2 diabetes who could be treated in clinical practice," said Juan Pablo Frías, M.D., Medical Director, National Research Institute and Investigator in the SURPASS program.

Side effects reported in at least 5% of patients treated with Mounjaro include nausea, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, constipation, indigestion (dyspepsia), and stomach (abdominal) pain. In studies, most nausea, diarrhea and vomiting occurred when people increased their dose – but the effects generally decreased over time.^6-12

According to the Department of Health’s Population Health Survey 2020-2022, 32.6% of persons aged 15-84 in Hong Kong had obesity (i.e. BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m²) and another 22.0% were overweight (i.e. 23.0 kg/m² ≤ BMI < 25.0 kg/m²) ¹³, while around 1 in 10 people live with type 2 diabetes.¹⁴

Yuko Mizuma, General Manager, Hong Kong & Macau, Eli Lilly Asia, Inc. stated: “Obesity and type 2 diabetes are chronic diseases that affect a significant number of Hong Kong citizens and put them at increased risk of over 200 health complications.” ^3-5

“Approval of Mounjaro, an innovative medical treatment, is an exciting news and Lilly is committed to tackling obesity and diabetes together with Hong Kong citizens.”

Mounjaro is approved in Hong Kong in six doses (2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, 15 mg) and will come in Lilly's KwikPen. A multi-dose, pre-filled pen first launched by Lilly in 2008, the KwikPen is already used to deliver different Lilly diabetes medicines for patients around the world. Mounjaro is expected to be available in Hong Kong as early as the end of this year.

References:

1. Mounjaro. Prescribing Information. Eli Lilly Asia, Inc.
2. Jastreboff  AM, Aronne  LJ, Ahmad  NN,  et al; SURMOUNT-1 Investigators. Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity. N Engl J Med. 2022;387(3):205-216.
3. Horn DB, et al. Postgrad Med. 2022;134(4):359-375
4. Fitch AK, et al. Obes Pillars. 2022;15:1:100004
5. Yuen MMA. Health complications of obesity: 224 obesity-associated comorbidities from a mechanistic perspective. Gastroenterol Clin N Am 2023;52(2):363–80. 10.1016/j.gtc.2023.03.006.
6. Rosenstock, J, et. al. Efficacy and Safety of Once Weekly Tirzepatide, a Dual GIP/GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Versus Placebo as Monotherapy in People with Type 2 Diabetes (SURPASS-1). Abstract 100-OR. Presented virtually at the American Diabetes Association's 81st Scientific Sessions; June 25-29.
7. Rosenstock, J, et. al. (2021). Efficacy and safety of a novel dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist tirzepatide in patients with type 2 diabetes (SURPASS-1): a double-blind, randomised, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2021;398(10295):143-155. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01324-6.
8. Frías JP, Davies MJ, Rosenstock J, et al; for the SURPASS-2 Investigators. Tirzepatide versus semaglutide once weekly in patients with type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2021;385(6)(suppl):503-515. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2107519
9. Frias, J.P. Efficacy and Safety of Tirzepatide vs. Semaglutide Once Weekly as Add-On Therapy to Metformin in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. Abstract 84-LB. Presented virtually at the American Diabetes Association's 81st Scientific Sessions; June 25-29.
10. Ludvik B, Giorgino F, Jódar E, et al.Once-weekly tirzepatide versus once-daily insulin degludec as add-on to metformin with or without SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes (SURPASS-3): a randomised, open-label, parallel-group, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2021;398(10300):583-598. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01443-4
11. Del Prato S, Kahn SE, Pavo I, et al; for the SURPASS-4 Investigators. Tirzepatide versus insulin glargine in type 2 diabetes and increased cardiovascular risk (SURPASS-4): a randomised, open-label, parallel-group, multicentre, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2021;398(10313):1811-1824. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02188-7
12. Dahl D, Onishi Y, Norwood P, et al. Effect of subcutaneous tirzepatide vs placebo added to titrated insulin glargine on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: the SURPASS-5 randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2022;327(6):534-545. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.0078
13. Population Health Survey 2020-22, Department of Health
14. Hong Kong Reference Framework, Diabetes Care for Adults in Primary Care Settings, Revised Edition 2023