Price cuts drove market gains in November for Novo Nordisk's Wegovy

Novo Nordisk cut Wegovy prices in mid-November, driving a 70% consumption jump and higher market share. Pharmarack data show Lilly's Mounjaro still dominates sales

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk’s weight loss drug Wegovy saw a 70 per cent rise in consumption due to price drops initiated last month, even as innovators are looking to make glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) agonist therapies more affordable in face of generic launches in March 2026.

 

In mid November, Novo had slashed Wegovy’s price by 30 to 35 per cent, bringing down the cost of a dose from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000 to Rs 2,700 to Rs 4,100. 

The impact was immediate, with consumption jumping by nearly 70 per cent in just 15 days, lifting Wegovy’s market share from 9 per cent in October to 14 per cent in November, according to data from market research firm Pharmarack. Launched in June this year, Wegovy has raked in Rs 50 crore in revenue, Rs 12 crore of which came in November 2025. 

Despite the competition, Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro remained the country's most selling drug for November with Rs 108 crore in sales, commanding 86 per cent of anti obesity sales for the month. The drug has raked in Rs 496 crore in total sales since its launch in March this year, entering the list of top 20 most selling drugs for the year. 

Sheetal Sapale, vice president (commercial) at Pharmarack said that while Mounjaro continues to dominate, Wegovy’s affordability push is clearly accelerating adoption. 

 

In terms of inventory, Wegovy has a stock for approximately 37 days, compared to Mounjaro’s inventory stock of 14 days. “Higher inventory levels, clubbed with affordability, remains the single biggest accelerator for category expansion,” Sapale added.

 

The affordability push comes even as Pharmarack data suggest that the GLP-1 agonist segment surged nearly tenfold in the last five years, reaching Rs 1,047 crore by November 2025, a 105 per cent growth from Rs 510 crore recorded in November 2024. 

 

However, despite obesity being a prevalent problem in India, anti obesity product sales are disproportionately concentrated in a few states. “This indicates a market skew and under penetration in high-need regions,” Sapale said.

 

For example, the Maharashtra plus Mumbai region commands the highest share of GLP-1 agonist sales at 24 per cent, despite having just 9 per cent of India’s population. 

 

Delhi, combined with other North Indian markets such as Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh have contributed to 16 per cent of total GLP-1 agonist sales. The region accounts for 7 per cent of India’s population. 

 

On the other hand, two of India;s popular regions- Uttar Pradesh, and the Bihar-Jharkhand market, which account from around 17 per cent and 12 per cent of the country’s population have contributed only 8 per cent and 1 per cent of GLP-1 agonist sales till now.        

 

She added that while the category has shown a strong demand, geographically varied uptake reflects differences in awareness, affordability and access. 

 

“Despite rising demand, India’s obesity market remains significantly underdeveloped, signaling major growth headroom for both innovators and upcoming generic entrants,” Sapale said.