▲ Mounjaro 2.5mg and 5mg
Reports of side effects stemming from the off-label use of Mounjaro, a treatment for obesity and diabetes, have been pouring in across Japan.
According to the Tokyo Shimbun on the 23rd, roughly 950 cases of side effects following the use of Mounjaro were reported to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) from its launch in Japan in 2023 through the 22nd.
Among them, 35 cases involved side effects that occurred after using the medication for dieting or cosmetic purposes outside of its intended medical indications.
While Mounjaro is an obesity and diabetes treatment that fundamentally requires a doctor's prescription, a notable number of people in Japan obtain it for weight loss and cosmetic purposes through "free practice" (uninsured medical care) or via private transactions on social networking services (SNS).
The reported side effects from off-label use included hypoglycemia, pancreatitis, nausea, and ketoacidosis.
Ketoacidosis is an emergency condition in which ketone bodies excessively accumulate in the blood, lowering blood acidity below the normal range, and it frequently occurs in individuals with diabetes.
If mild symptoms that went unreported are included, the actual number of side effect cases could be even higher.
Wataru Ogawa, a specially appointed professor at Kobe University, warned, "When trying to lose weight, you must consider whether the method (using Mounjaro) is safe."
In June, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the competent authority, issued a notice to medical institutions stating, "The weight-loss effects of Mounjaro have not been proven, so caution is necessary as unexpected health hazards may arise when using it for purposes other than its original intent."
Mounjaro is injected into areas such as the abdomen or thighs to stimulate insulin secretion while suppressing blood sugar levels.
Last year alone, Japanese pharmaceutical company sales of Mounjaro reached a total of 104.9 billion yen (approx. 922.9 billion won).
Regarding Mounjaro, a method where South Koreans purchase the drug at relatively low prices in Japan has spread, creating a buzz and coining the new term "Sushijaro" (sushi + Mounjaro).
In South Korea, Mounjaro is not covered by national health insurance, and the government does not set a retail price, making the purchasing cost higher than in Japan, where prices are regulated for "type 2 diabetes treatments."
According to the Korea Customs Service, the number of detected illegal smuggling cases for obesity treatments such as Mounjaro and Wegovy totaled 4,155 from January to June of this year, reaching 3.5 times the total number of detections for the entire previous year (1,189 cases).
(Photo provided by Eli Lilly Korea, Yonhap News)
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