Asia Tech Wire (Oct 28) -- U.S. pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company expects to start selling its popular weight-loss drug Mounjaro in Hong Kong as early as the end of this year, according to Bloomberg.

The company has received approval from the Hong Kong government to sell its tirzepatide injection, branded as Mounjaro, for long-term weight management and type 2 diabetes through a prefilled pen called Kwikpen, Lilly said in a statement on Monday.

The company expects to start selling the weight-loss drug in Hong Kong as early as the end of this year.

As Lilly's flagship product, Mounjaro was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2022 for the indication of improving glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes in combination with controlled diet and exercise.

The U.S. FDA approved Lilly's tirzepatide drug, under the brand name Zepbound, in November 2022 for weight loss-related indications.

In China, regulators approved Lilly's tirzepatide drug in May and July for improving glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes, as well as for long-term weight management indications.

However, it is unclear when Lilly plans to launch its tirzepatide products in China.

Notably, Lilly rival Novo Nordisk already sells its diabetes drug in Hong Kong and China, but its weight-loss drug is not yet available.