Wedoany.com Report-Dec.8, China's National Healthcare Security Administration announced on Sunday that Eli Lilly's type-2 diabetes treatment Mounjaro (tirzepatide) will be included in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) effective 1 January 2026. The once-weekly injectable therapy will then be covered by state health insurance for eligible diabetes patients nationwide, significantly reducing out-of-pocket costs.

Mounjaro entered the Chinese market in January 2025, following Novo Nordisk's similar GLP-1 therapy Ozempic, which was launched in China in 2021 and added to the reimbursement list in 2022. Novo Nordisk reported 2024 sales of Ozempic in the Greater China region reaching 5.76 billion Danish crowns (approximately US$898.5 million).

Inclusion in the NRDL typically expands patient access across China's 1.4 billion population but is accompanied by a government-negotiated price reduction. The final reimbursed price for Mounjaro has not yet been disclosed.

In addition to type-2 diabetes, Mounjaro is also approved and marketed in China for obesity and obstructive sleep apnoea indications.

During Eli Lilly's October 2025 earnings call, International President Patrik Jonsson commented on the drug's global performance: "Since then, we have seen a lift in the performance also in those markets in Q3 and a continued very strong performance globally," noting that China, Brazil, Mexico and India were among the largest non-U.S. launch markets showing continued growth after initial stocking in the second quarter.