Mounjaro India's bestselling drug in October with ₹100 crore sales

Weight-loss drug rakes in ₹333 cr in cumulative sales since launch in March this year, leaving rival Wegovy behind

Eli Lilly’s anti-obesity medicine Mounjaro (tirzepatide) emerged as India’s highest-selling drug by value in October 2025, posting sales worth almost ₹100 crore for the first time since its launch in March this year.

 

According to data from market analysis firm Pharmarack, the weight-loss drug has raked in a cumulative revenue of ₹333 crore in seven months of its launch, with the medicine finding popularity among new patients wanting to onboard anti-obesity therapy.

 

With its performance, Mounjaro has pushed long-standing top performers such as Augmentin (₹80 crore) and Glycomet (₹78 crore) to the second and third position, respectively, in October.

 

Even within the anti-obesity segment, Mounjaro seemed to have outperformed its competitors such as Wegovy and Rybelsus (both semaglutide), which had sales of ₹9 crore and ₹26 crore, respectively, in October.

 

"Mounjaro's consumption in India by volume was 10 times more than Wegovy in October," said Sheetal Sapale, Pharmarack's vice president (commercial).

 

While Lilly sold 262,000 Mounjaro units last month, Novo Nordisk sold 26,000 Wegovy units.

 

Even as awareness around obesity as a chronic and treatable medical condition played a role, top diabetologists and industry experts attributed the drug's success to its first-mover advantage and superior efficacy in weight loss, giving it an edge over rival offerings like Wegovy.

 

Speaking on the advantages, Sapele said Mounjaro was initially launched only in vial form, with one dose per injection priced between ₹3,000 and ₹4,000.

 

However, with Wegovy launching straight with a prefilled syringe version, Eli Lilly later launched its prefilled Kwikpen, which contains four doses per vial priced between ₹20,000 and ₹25,000.

 

“A vial form allowed patients to buy less quantity first and continue if their body accepted the drug, and then they shifted to Kwikpen. It was no loss if the patients did not tolerate the dose. Wegovy did not have that option,” Sapale said.

 

The Mounjaro push seems to have come through high demand in metros such as Mumbai and Delhi.

 

While there is no breakup available, Sapale said the drug is seeing traction in metropolitan areas, with more sales in the affluent localities of Mumbai city.

 

Dr Sukhvinder Singh Saggu, director for minimal access, gastrointestinal and bariatric surgery, at Delhi’s CK Birla Hospital added that people are increasingly turning to drugs like Mounjaro because they offer effective, clinically proven weight-loss outcomes that were previously achievable only through drastic lifestyle changes.

 

“Moreover, social media visibility, celebrity usage, and better medical guidance are driving wider acceptance among patients seeking safe, evidence-based solutions for obesity,” he added.

 

Saggu added that in many regions, Mounjaro usage is rising faster than Wegovy due to its dual-action mechanism.

 

Mounjaro combines GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) receptor agonist activity, which enhances both blood sugar control and weight reduction compared to single-action drugs like semaglutide (Wegovy).

 

“Clinical studies have shown that tirzepatide often leads to greater average weight-loss percentages, making it a preferred choice among physicians and patients seeking stronger metabolic outcomes,” he added.

 

Some reports suggest that Mounjaro has a weight-loss efficacy of 20-22 per cent, compared with 16-18 per cent for Wegovy.

 

However, Wegovy’s benefits extend beyond weight-loss to lowering the risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Results of studies on cardiovascular benefits for Mounjaro are yet to come.

 

“While Wegovy is easily available and both drugs are priced similarly, Mounjaro’s dual benefit on glucose and weight makes it more appealing to many users,” Saggu said.