TURNING THE TIDE

Irina Zaporozhets, President and General Manager for Eli Lilly Suisse S.A. in the META region is driving expansion, focusing on innovation and patient-centric care. As she navigates regional challenges, her commitment to expanding access to medicine remains at the forefront.

- Irina Zaporozhets

In recent years, if you’re following trends in healthcare news, it would have been hard to miss the growing popularity of a new range of weight loss-inducing drugs for chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and obesity hitting headlines globally, including Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy. In the Middle East in particular, regional healthcare challenges such as high rates of diabetes and obesity and an aging population are driving growth for medications that can help treat these conditions. American pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company released its own new medication for type 2 diabetes, Mounjaro, in the U.S. following approval from the FDA in 2022. The U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia were among the first countries globally where Lilly launched the drug, in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Last year, it also got FDA approval for Zepbound for weight loss.

Lilly’s focus lies in four key areas: diabetes and obesity, oncology, neuroscience, and others. “These are not just strategic choices; they are areas where the company sees an urgent need for breakthrough treatments. We are revolutionizing the treatment of different disease areas because we believe that’s where the world needs help,” explains Irina Zaporozhets, President and General Manager of Eli Lilly’s META hub. The company launched eight new products and 19 new indications in META in 2023, with even more ambitious targets for the coming year.