Eli Lilly launches its blockbuster weight loss drug Mounjaro in India

Mumbai: US drugmaker Eli Lilly & Co. brought its anti-obesity drug Mounjaro to India on Thursday, marking the country’s first treatment of its kind, with monthly costs ranging from ₹14,000 to ₹17,500. The new drug, however, will face competition soon enough, with other foreign pharmaceutical companies planning to introduce similar products in a growing market.

Mounjaro’s 2.5mg and 5mg vials will be priced at ₹3,500 and ₹4,375 respectively, in India. The injectable drug, used to treat obesity and type-2 diabetes, is to be taken once a week. The company had previously stated that it would price the drug, which costs around $1,000 per month ( ₹86,315) in the US, competitively in India. “This India-specific pricing reflects Lilly’s commitment to expanding access to innovative treatments in the country,” the company said on Thursday.

Weight loss drugs such as Mounjaro help the body manage blood sugar more effectively, make one feel less hungry, and slow digestion, so the person feels full longer. Mounjaro, chemically known as tirzepatide, works by activating GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) hormone receptors.

Also read | Eli Lilly’s Zepbound beats Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy in first head-to-head study

Hight demand

Demand for GLP-1 drugs that help reduce weight has boomed. According to Goldman Sachs, the market for GLP-1 drugs is expected to reach $100 billion by 2030.

While Mounjaro gives Lilly a first-mover advantage in India, it won’t last long, as rival semaglutide (brand name Ozempic), goes off-patent in the country in 2026. Top generics makers such as Cipla, Dr Reddy’s, Lupin, Natco Pharma, Mankind Pharma, and Biocon are all gearing up to launch cheaper generic copies of Ozempic. Meanwhile, India’s largest pharma company, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries is working on its own GLP-1 drug.

Also read | Will Natco and Dr. Reddy’s bet on weight-loss drug Ozempic’s copy pay off?

“Semaglutide generics will be priced almost 95% lower than [Eli Lilly’] current price,” said Vishal Manchanda, senior vice-president, institutional research at Systematix Group. With the drop in prices, volumes of GLP-1 drugs would boom.

Ozempic innovator Novo Nordisk has also announced plans to launch the drug in India. However, it has not specified a timeline.

“At least 50% of our [type 2 diabetes] patients are overweight,” said Dr. Rajiv Kovil, a senior diabetologist.

Mounjaro is authorized for use in patients with and without type-2 diabetes for weight loss. Kovil expects the usage in patients with diabetes to be larger than those without, given the lack of awareness. “We could expect a 15-20% pickup in our patients with type-2 diabetes,” he said.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), there are 101 million people with diabetes in India. Of these, atleast 40 million are on medication. Manchanda of Systematix said that if even 0.5% of them use Mounjaro, it would fetch sales of $1.5 billion for Eli Lilly every year, since the annual cost works out to ₹6.5 lakh per patient.

Also read | Ozempic play: Mankind Pharma in the fray for weight-loss drugs

The number of people with obesity in the country is growing. As of 2021, about 180 million Indians were obese or overweight – this could grow to 450 million by 2050, according to a recent Lancet study. According to a July 2024 report in the British Medical Journal, the market for GLP-1 drugs for patients with diabetes in India doubled to $3.6 billion in 2024. This was also driven by unauthorized use of drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro through the grey market.

The diabetes drug market in India was estimated at ₹17,000 crore in 2024, according to Pharmarack.

Eli Lilly has not yet announced plans for domestic partnerships to market the drug, whose global revenue surged 60% on-year to $3.53 billion in the December quarter. The single-dose vial drug was launched following market authorization from the country’s drug regulator, the pharmaceutical major said.

Also read | Why cancer patients can hope for affordable drugs in India

“The dual burden of obesity and type-2 diabetes is rapidly emerging as a major public health challenge in India. Lilly is committed to collaborating with the government and industry to promote awareness and improve the prevention and management of these diseases,” Winselow Tucker, president and general manager, Lilly India, said in the statement.