Koreans flock to Japan for weight-loss drug that costs a third of price at home
Korean travelers have booked every appointment at a Japanese telemedicine service through Nov. 19 as South Korea on Thursday began letting people bring home weight-loss drugs such as Mounjaro prescribed abroad.
384 reservation slots for a weight-loss drug called Mounjaro, costing significantly less in Japan, sold out within days. Korean tourists in Japan can obtain Mounjaro through a platform offering remote prescriptions, with interpretation support. The drug, also known as Sushijaro, can be delivered to hotels. Mounjaro can be prescribed in Japan to people not meeting obesity criteria.
A four-week supply in South Korea costs around 280,000 to 350,000 won (US$210 - 263), nearly three times the price in Japan, which is about 100,000 won. A new rule allows travelers to bring up to six bottles of a prescription medicine from the country where it was prescribed or bought. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korea Customs Service announced the regulation after complaints about customs holding legitimate medicines.
The ban on importing obesity drugs like Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Saxenda has been in place since the ministry classified them as harmful. Mounjaro is cheaper in Japan due to the country's drug pricing system where Mounjaro and Zepbound are listed under national health insurance for Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Competition among clinics in Japan has pushed prices down, making Mounjaro more affordable for Korean tourists.
Written by urgent.news from VnExpress International's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
