Demand for obesity drugs soars in India as Lilly, Novo jostle for mkt share

Demand for weight-loss drugs is rising at a fast clip in India where rivals Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are competing for market share, data from research firm Pharmarack showed on Monday.

Sales of Lilly's Mounjaro, which launched in late March, doubled from May to June, reaching 87,986 units or ₹26 crore ($3.03 million), Pharmarack said in a virtual session. Between March and May, Lilly sold a total of 81,570 Mounjaro units in India.

Meanwhile, Novo sold 1,788 units of Wegovy in India since its late-June launch, Pharmarack said.

Incidence of obesity and diabetes is rising in India, the world's most populous country, which also ranks among the worst three globally for high obesity rates, according to a study published in the medical journal the Lancet.

The Indian obesity market has grown fivefold since 2021 and is valued at ₹628 crore, according to the research firm. 

Affordability and willingness to try new drugs for obesity have propelled the growth of the market, Pharmarack's Vice President (Commercial) Sheetal Sapale said.

Wegovy's active ingredient, semaglutide, dominates the market with a two-thirds share in India while Mounjaro's active ingredient, Tirzepatide, has captured 8% of the market, Pharmarack said.

As of June, the semaglutide market in India was valued at ₹412 crore, and Tirzepatide at ₹50 crore, the research firm said.

Novo has sold oral versions of semaglutide for diabetes in India since 2022.

Semaglutide will lose patent protection in India in 2026, and generic drugmakers are aiming to produce cheaper versions of Wegovy as India becomes a key battleground for drugmakers seeking to grab a share of the global obesity market.

Novo and Lilly's drugs help control blood sugar and slow digestion, making users feel fuller for longer.