After gaining worldwide popularity, the advanced weight-loss medicine Mounjaro has now become available in India. On 20th March 2025, Eli Lilly, the American pharmaceutical company, made the announcement of launching tirzepatide in India in the name of Mounjaro. This anti-obesity drug has become previously most successful in several nations like the UK and across Europe. For the launch of this drug in India, Eli Lilly had to take the marketing authorisation from the CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation), the drug regulatory body of India.
Overview of Mounjaro
Mounjaro is used for weight management as well as controlling diabetes mellitus or type 2 diabetes. The drug is taken in the form of an injection, which helps to lose weight with a focus on activating two natural hormones, GIP and GLP-1. The roles of these hormones are to control digestion, blood sugar level and appetite. Therefore, these help to decrease the intake of food and improve insulin sensitivity.
There is evidence that individuals can obtain a weight loss of up to 20 per cent of their body weight with the help of Mounjaro. As a result, the medicine has globally drawn the attention of people suffering from obesity and overweight. The medicine becomes available in India in a single dose vial while the individuals who require it can take this injection once weekly in their skin. However, the major concern remains regarding the affordability of the medicine in India and its long-term side effects.
About Eli Lilly
Eli Lilly and Company, better known as Lilly, is one of the leading American multinational medicine companies that aims to turn science into healing to make the lives of people worldwide better. The company started its journey around 150 years ago on May 10, 1876. The manufacturing plants of the company are situated in 9 countries, while the products of the company are offered in around 95 countries around the world.
Lilly started its business operation in India in 1993 with the commitment to manufacture and sell pharmaceutical products for the treatment of diseases like diabetes, lung cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and growth hormone deficiency-related problems. The company depends on two business entities, including, Lilly Pharma and Eli Lilly Services India Pvt Ltd, for operating in India. The initiative to launch Mounjaro in India has the potential to further strengthen the position of Eli Lilly in the Indian market, considering India’s massive population and increasing diabetes and obesity rates among Indian people. Eli Lilly is also likely to get extra advantages in India because of the early entry to this country over its competitors, Wegovy and Ozempic of Novo Nordisk. However, Lilly will have to face intense competition in the Indian market as apart from Novo, several local drugmakers like Dr Reddy’s, Sun Pharma, and Lupin are in the race to capture a high market share in the anti-obesity drug market in India.
Prevalence of obesity and diabetes in India
Diabetes has become a key public health concern across the world with a significant effect on communities, healthcare systems and individuals. Diabetes remains one of the ten leading causes of mortality in adult people. According to a study, around 537 million individuals belonging to the age group of 20 to 79 years were suffering from diabetes worldwide as of 2021 and around 95 per cent of these cases are type 2 diabetes. It is also forecasted that the number of diabetes patients will reach 783 million by 2045, which accounts for around a 46 per cent increase.
In the global context, India holds the second rank in the category of having the highest number of type 2 diabetes patients, while China is in the first position. There are around 101 million type 2 diabetes patients in India, and an additional 136 million Indians have been recognised as pre-diabetic. Furthermore, it is expected to have undiagnosed diabetes among 39.4 million Indians. The overall diabetes rate in India is found to have increased to 11.4 per cent in 2023 in comparison to 7.1 per cent in 2009.
Obesity is one of the major drivers of the occurrence of type 2 diabetes. In India, approximately 30 to 65 per cent of the population is found to be impacted by abdominal obesity. Some of the Indian states where the prevalence of abdominal obesity is quite high are Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. The prevalence rates of these states are around 36.1 per cent, 26.6 per cent, 16.9 per cent and 18.7 per cent respectively. In the Mann Ki Baat programme in February, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his concern regarding the rising obesity in India and highlighted that one in every eight people is found to be a victim of obesity. Modi also had given the advice to reducing edible oil consumption by 10 per cent per month to combat obesity. The government of India has also introduced multiple initiatives like POSHAN Abhiyaan, Fit India Movement, Khelo India, and Eat Right India to promote physical activity, a healthier lifestyle, and the prevention of obesity.
What is the price, and where is Mounjaro available in India?
People in India can primarily avail of Mounjaro in two different doses. These are 2.5 mg vial and 5mg vial. In India, the 2.5 mg vial will cost around Rs 3500, and the 5mg vial will cost approximately Rs 4375. Therefore, one may have to spend around Rs 14000 to 17500 in a month to get treatment with this medicine as per the recommendation of the doctor.
However, considering the affordability of Indian people, the price of this medicine has been kept at much lower prices in India than in the US. The average monthly price of this weight loss medicine in the US is approximately 1000-1200 US dollars (Rs.86000-100000) in a month. People in India can access this medicine in select hospitals and popular pharmacies like Apollo Pharmacy and 1mg. Nevertheless, individuals require a valid prescription to buy this drug.
Target consumers
The target consumers of Mounjaro are the adults who are suffering from obesity having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more. Individuals who are overweight and BMI of 27 or more and suffering from weight-related health problems are also prescribed to take this medicine. For better blood sugar control, type 2 diabetes patients can also consume this medicine. If the medicine is found to be safe and effective for an individual, doctors generally recommend this medicine for the long term to get the best results. However, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, individuals who have a history of pancreatitis or thyroid cancer and those who have type 1 diabetes and severe gastrointestinal conditions need to remain away from taking this injection.
Side effects
Like most other medicines, the common side effects of Mounjaro include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, digestion problems and constipation. However, there is no need for medical attention for most of these side effects as these are found to disappear with the adjustment of the body to the medicine. In case of severe conditions caused by these side effects, individuals need to consult their doctor immediately.
