Eli Lilly's Mounjaro logs ₹80 crore in September, India's No. 2 drug

US drugmaker Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug Mounjaro (tirzepatide) recorded ₹80 crore in revenue during September, becoming the second-most sold drug in terms of value in India, according to data from market research firm Pharmarack.

 

The highest-selling drug for the month was GlaxoSmithKline’s Augmentin, an antibiotic, garnering revenues of ₹85 crore.

 

Mounjaro’s September sales have almost seen a 42 per cent increase from the ₹56 crore recorded in August.

 

The bumper rise is due to the rising demand for the drug and patients’ gradual shift towards its higher dosage, according to experts.

 

“The demand for Mounjaro has been high with the drug garnering a cumulative revenue of ₹233 crore since its launch in the country in March,” said Sheetal Sapale, vice-president (commercial) at Pharmarack.

 

 

The drug is currently available in two injectable dosage forms — 2.5 and 5 milligrams (mg) — priced between ₹14,000 and ₹17,500 per month.

 

Existing patients have to upgrade to higher doses after four weeks, whereas new patients are onboarding Mounjaro in good numbers.

 

Prescribed primarily for controlling obesity and diabetes, Mounjaro’s sales rise comes as Lilly received Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) approval to market it in a ready-to-use prefilled KwikPen format. 

 

With the world’s third-highest overweight and obese people, India is an emerging hotspot for weight-loss treatments.

 

According to an Indian Council of Medical Research-INDIAB (India Diabetes) study, the country has 254 million people with generalised obesity and 351 million with abdominal obesity.

 

GST revamp disturbed distribution channels, situation to get better soon

 

The recent revision in goods and services tax (GST), which lowered rates on medicines from 12 per cent to 5 per cent, have led to a slight disturbance in the pharma distribution channel in September, said Pharmarack.

 

“However confusion among retailers on the impact of GST benefits to be passed on to the consumer led to a lower purchase and sales trend for the month,” said Sheetal Sapale of Pharmarack.

 

She added that the supply chain is expected to get better in a couple months.