American pharmaceutical major Eli Lilly and Company on Thursday (March 20, 2025) launched its diabetes and obesity management drug Mounjaro (tirzepatide) in India. The company launched the drug in a single-dose vial following marketing authorisation from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
A release issued by the company noted that Mounjaro was a treatment for obesity, overweight, and Type 2 diabetes that activates both GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) hormone receptors.
The release added that adults taking Mounjaro with diet and exercise in a controlled clinical trial lost on average of 21.8 kg at the highest dose (15 mg), and 15.4 kg at the lowest dose (5 mg), over 72 weeks.
The drug is priced at ₹3,500 for a 2.5 mg vial and ₹4,375 for a 5 mg vial.
Mounjaro, usually taken once a week, would then cost between ₹14,000 and ₹17,500 per month, depending on the dosage recommended by the doctor.
The average monthly price of Mounjaro in the U.S. is about $1,000 to $1,200 (approximately ₹86,000 to ₹1 lakh).
“This India-specific pricing reflects Lilly’s commitment to expanding access to innovative treatments in the country,” Eli Lilly said.
In India, the demand for GLP-1 class drugs to manage diabetes and obesity has surged, creating a market worth hundreds of billions of dollars. A key drug in this class, semaglutide is set to go off-patent in March next year, and several Indian players, including Mankind Pharma Limited, Alkem Labs Limited, and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited, are in the fray to launch their generic versions of the drug.
“The dual burden of obesity and Type 2 diabetes is rapidly emerging as a major public health challenge in India. Lilly is committed to collaborating with the government and industry to promote awareness and improve the prevention and management of these diseases,” Winselow Tucker, president and general manager, Lilly India, said.
Novo Nordisk’s oral semaglutide tablet, Rybelsus, launched in India in January 2022, has already captured nearly 65% of the anti-obesity drug market along with other weight loss medications, including dulaglutide, orlistat, and liraglutide. The market for anti-obesity drugs in India has seen exponential growth, swelling from ₹137 crore in November 2020 to ₹535 crore in November 2024, according to market research firm Pharmatrac.
India has about 101 million people living with diabetes, and nearly half of these adult patients are being inadequately treated with suboptimal glycaemic control. Obesity, a chronic relapsing disease and a major risk factor for diabetes, is linked to over 200 health complications, including hypertension, dyslipidaemia, coronary heart disease, and obstructive sleep apnoea. As of 2023, adult obesity prevalence in India stood at around 6.5%, affecting nearly 100 million people.
“Obesity and diabetes are recognised as serious conditions linked to various life-limiting health complications, making effective and sustained treatment critical,” Manish Mistry, senior medical director, Lilly India, said.
“Mounjaro may offer a new approach to metabolic health management, providing healthcare providers with an innovative option to treat these diseases,” Dr. Mistry said.
Published – March 20, 2025 06:37 pm IST
