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Not just Tirzepatide, the company plans to launch multiple newly developed products from its global portfolio in the Indian market, including cardiometabolic health, oncology, immunology and neuroscience
Mounjaro, a weekly injectable drug by Eli Lilly for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, competes with another high-profile drug, Ozempic. (Representational pic)
Eli Lilly, a US-based pharmaceutical giant, plans to launch its drug, Tirzepatide, sold under the brand name Mounjaro, in the Indian market next year.
Mounjaro, a weekly injectable drug by Eli Lilly for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, competes with another high-profile drug, Ozempic (manufactured by Danish drugmaker, Novo Nordisk).
The latter, brand name Ozempic (semaglutide), has not yet been launched in the Indian market.
“We aim to launch Tirzepatide in India by 2025, after obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals,” Vineet Gupta, associate vice president and managing director of Eli Lilly (India), told News18. However, he said that the company hasn’t yet “finalised the pricing of Tirzepatide for India”.
Gupta did not reveal its pricing strategy for the drug for the Indian market, where it is otherwise sold at $1,000 per shot (over Rs 84,000). He said the “pricing strategy in India will reflect the medicine’s efficacy and the significant value it brings in reducing the overall health and economic burden of type 2 diabetes and obesity”.
However, he said, the company anticipates “a positive response from the Indian market”. “We recognise that there is a high demand for our anti-obesity medicine globally. Lilly has made major investments in manufacturing sites worldwide to enhance our capacity.”
Tirzepatide obtained marketing authorisation in India in July 2024, and the company is pursuing additional approvals in preparation for its 2025 launch.
Not just Tirzepatide, but the company plans to launch multiple newly developed products from its global portfolio in the Indian market. “India is an important market for the company. We are committed to accelerating the process of bringing our innovative products to the country, which includes medicines for cardiometabolic health, oncology, immunology and neuroscience.”
In the anti-obesity, anti-diabetes market, Novo was the first company to enter with Ozempic, which received US FDA approval in 2017 and generated $4.3 billion in sales during the first quarter of this year. In contrast, Mounjaro, approved in 2022, is now rapidly gaining traction, with Lilly reporting $1.8 billion in sales in the first quarter. In some countries, it is reportedly surpassing the demand for Ozempic.
INDIA IS A ‘KEY MARKET’ FOR ELI LILLY
India is known as the diabetes capital of the world. According to an analysis published in The Lancet, approximately 82.8 crore people worldwide were living with diabetes in 2022, with over a quarter of them – which means more than 21 crore – in India.
“India is a key strategic market for Lilly, and we are deeply committed to bringing innovations to the country to address the unmet needs,” said Gupta, who leads the strategic direction and operational management of Eli Lilly’s business across India, ASEAN, and North Africa.
Gupta said that the company recognises that tackling complex conditions like diabetes and obesity requires a comprehensive, multifaceted approach. “Lilly is excited about the opportunity to make life better for people in the country.”
“We are committed to collaborating with healthcare providers, policymakers, and public health organisations, and working together to build a robust ecosystem that drives awareness and improves health outcomes.”
HOW MOUNJARO CAN HELP SOLVE THE OBESITY CRISIS IN INDIA
According to the India Economic Survey 2024, obesity is a serious concern among India’s adult population, with the adult obesity rate having more than tripled.
“It is critical for people with obesity to access comprehensive care that can prevent and treat the disease, including lifestyle regimens, such as diet and exercise, obesity management medications and bariatric surgery, to improve their health,” Gupta said.
When addressing obesity, he said, “We also need to understand people living with overweight or obesity face stigma every single day. The idea that their weight is somehow their fault or individual responsibility is the biggest barrier preventing them from accessing the healthcare they need.”
“The very idea that obesity is down to individual responsibility or can be tackled by lifestyle changes and willpower alone allows health systems to put off taking significant steps to address this major health issue.”
TOP ENDOCRINOLOGISTS EXCITED FOR THE LAUNCH BUT WARN OF MISUSE
According to Dr Anoop Misra, chairman of Fortis C-Doc Hospital for Diabetes and Allied Sciences, both Semaglutide and Tirzepatide represent significant breakthroughs in managing obesity and type 2 diabetes. On some parameters, Tirzepatide could be slightly better than Semaglutide.
“Clinical trials indicate that Tirzepatide may provide slightly greater weight loss benefits,” he pointed out.
“As a dual agonist targeting both gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors, Tirzepatide activates two metabolic pathways, whereas semaglutide focuses exclusively on GLP-1 receptors.”
In key trials, patients on Tirzepatide experienced average weight loss ranging from 15% to 20% of their body weight, compared to about 15% with semaglutide, and showed superiority in blood glucose control. Despite these differences, individual responses can vary widely.
Similarly, Dr Ambrish Mithal, chairman and head, endocrinology and diabetes at Max Healthcare, told News18 that the launch of Mounjaro in India is a welcome move and will benefit many patients, if introduced at a reasonable price. “The category of these drugs has proven beneficial not only for weight loss but also for heart, kidney and liver.”
However, the only challenge is to regulate the sales of this category of medicines to prevent its misuse as people may start using this to lose weight.
“People should not use it as a cosmetic product, as it clearly has its own side effects when used without the supervision of a medical professional,” Mithal said, emphasising that launch of this category of drugs will mark the beginning of a new era. In the coming years, he added, we can expect the emergence of many new and improved molecules to aid patients dealing with obesity and diabetes.
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