New diabetes and weight-loss drug Mounjaro now available in Belgium

Mounjaro, a new drug against type 2 diabetes and obesity, is available in Belgium from Friday. The drug is similar to the popular Ozempic medication but is said to work even better.

Following France, Germany and the Netherlands, the drug from US pharma company Eli Lilly is now also entering the Belgian market. Mounjaro will be available on prescription for people with type 2 diabetes with irregular blood sugar levels, as well as for some people with obesity. It helps to lower blood sugar levels, reduce appetite and stabilise body weight.

Mounjaro works similarly to Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs: it mimics the action of hormones that occur naturally in a person's gut and inhibit their appetite. For Mounjaro, however, the active ingredient Tirzepatide mimics not one gut hormone but two. “As a result, Mounjaro works better than Ozempic,” said endocrinologist Chantal Mathieu of UZ Leuven to Flemish public broadcaster VRT.

While Ozempic on average leads to 10 per cent weight loss, Mounjaro could lead to 20 per cent weight loss. However, this higher percentage was achieved in clinical studies with higher doses than those now coming on the market in Belgium. With the dose that is currently on the Belgian market, Mounjaro offers similar results to Ozempic.

No reimbursement yet

Mounjaro must be injected once a week using an injection pen. As soon as people stop taking the medicine, its effect also stops – meaning it is very important that people adjust their lifestyle at the same time. People should also seek proper guidance from a dietician or doctor. The most common side effects for Mounjaro are mild to moderate gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, diarrhoea and constipation. Serious side effects appear to be rare so far. The drug should not be used during pregnancy or when trying to become pregnant.

For Ozempic, there are now restrictions in Belgium as it became so popular for weight loss that production could not keep up. This resulted in a shortage of the drug. As this meant people with diabetes could no longer get the medicine they needed, they have now been given priority. For new patients, Ozempic can now only be prescribed by an endocrinologist. Next in line are people with severe obesity – a BMI of 35 or more.

An injection pen with four doses of Mounjaro – enough for a month – costs 232.80 euros. For now, the drug will not be reimbursed in Belgium but a reimbursement procedure for patients with type 2 diabetes is ongoing. This is not yet the case for people with obesity. The higher doses tested in the clinical trials may not come onto the market in Belgium until 2025. These are expected to be more expensive.

^{Three weight-loss drugs: Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic © BELGA PHOTO IMAGO}