New weight-loss drug in Hong Kong ‘not for healthy people trying to look good’

The latest celebrity weight-loss drug to be given the nod in Hong Kong will be available in December, but experts cautioned against using it for cosmetic purposes without a doctor’s prescription.

US drug giant Eli Lilly announced last month that Mounjaro, for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes, had been approved by the Department of Health as a prescription-only medicine.

Its main ingredient, tirzepatide, targets two hormones that can slow down food digestion. Similar drugs approved for use in Hong Kong earlier, including Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, use semaglutide as their main ingredient and target one hormone.

These drugs became a sensation after American celebrities such as billionaire Elon Musk, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, actress Whoopi Goldberg, former NBA star Charles Barkley and comedian Rosie O’Donnell said they had lost weight after taking them.

Spiking demand, including from people just wanting to shed weight, caused global shortages and drew warnings from healthcare professionals to use these drugs only with a doctor’s prescription.

A spokesman for Eli Lilly said Mounjaro was meant for adults with obesity or those who were overweight and also had weight-related medical problems such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnoea or cardiovascular disease.