Eli Lilly's weight loss drug Mounjaro sales bulk up 60% on dosage upgrade

Sales of Mounjaro, Eli Lilly’s blockbuster weight loss and diabetes drug, surged 60 per cent in May, for a second full month since its launch in India. It logged value sales worth Rs 12.61 crore in May, compared to Rs 7.88 crore in April. 

 

The bumper rise, since its launch in the country in March, was due to the rising demand for the drug and patients’ gradual shift towards its higher dosage, according to market research firm Pharmarack. In May, volume sales of the 5 milligrams (mg) dose of the drug climbed 2.5 times.

 

The drug is currently available in two injectable dosage forms — 2.5 and 5 mg. It is prescribed primarily for patients who meet certain clinical criteria related to obesity and diabetes. Data suggests that while value and volume-wise sales for the 5 mg form of Mounjaro have more than doubled from April to May, outperforming the sale of 2.5 mg dosage in May.

 

 

Mounjaro 5 mg sales rose from 9,380 units in April (valued at Rs 3.08 crore) to 22,940 units in May valued at Rs 7.53 crore.  

 

For the 2.5 mg form, the demand growth was relatively muted at 19,350 units in May, up from 18,270 units the previous month. Sales value for May for the 2.5 mg dosage was around Rs 5.08 crore in May, up from Rs 4.8 crore in the previous month.

 

Growth in the 2.5 mg dosage indicates a consistent rise in new prescriptions. Patients start with the 2.5 mg dose after which the dosage is slowly increased. 

 

“Existing patients are upgrading to higher doses after four weeks, whereas new patients are also onboarding Mounjaro in good numbers,” Sheetal Sapale, vice-president (commercial) at Pharmarack, said. Treatment with Mounjaro is initiated with the lowest available dosage form (2.5 mg), which is administered subcutaneously once every week.

 

“The starting dose is usually maintained for the first four weeks to help the patient adjust and minimise potential side effects,” Sukhvinder Singh Saggu, director for Minimal Access, GI and Bariatric Surgery at the CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, said. After this initial phase, the dose is escalated to 5 mg weekly, as the weight loss outcomes tend to be more pronounced at this level.

  Experts add that while the 2.5 mg dose helps initiate the process, many patients experience a plateau at that dosage, and shifting to 5 mg allows for more consistent and promising results.

 

Doctors suggest that inquiries for the drug have only increased, with Mounjaro now also being prescribed in select cases before bariatric surgery. Saggu said many new patients are now actively inquiring about the drug, either as a new treatment option or as an addition to their ongoing weight management plan.

 

“Some of our existing patients, who were previously prescribed medications like Fenoglide, are now also being considered for Mounjaro as an alternative or add-on therapy,” he added.

 

According to standard guidelines for obesity management medications (OMMs), a patient must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 27 with at least one obesity-related comorbidity, such as Type-2 diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol.

 

However, doctors are also reporting inquiries from individuals who do not meet the medical criteria. “We are strictly discouraging its use for cosmetic purposes or in patients who do not meet the clinical threshold,” Saggu said.