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India has now become a hotbed of weight loss drug wars. The big players are Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. Lilly entered early with its product Mounjaro, which became a hot topic in the market. Novo also came up with Wegovy but had to lower the price so that people could afford it. All these companies are using powerful tactics – heavy advertising, partnerships with doctors, clinics, and even incentives for patients. Lilly even involved Bollywood stars in obesity campaigns, so that people see this issue as serious.
India is expected to have a large number of overweight people by 2050, and this has made the obesity drugs market very juicy. Analysts say the global market could reach $150 billion by the end of the decade. Although the US is still the largest market, India has shown very rapid uptake, although many pay for the drugs out of their own pockets.
The Indian market is currently growing at a rapid pace – Pharmarack said the July market was worth 6.28 billion rupees, up fivefold since 2021. Lilly’s Mounjaro has become the top seller by value, sprinting ahead of Novo’s Wegovy. Novo was forced to cut prices in November to stay competitive.
But things are not over yet – more than 20 Indian companies such as Dr Reddy’s, Cipla, Sun Pharma, Zydus and Lupin are planning to introduce generic versions of semaglutide after the patent expires in 2026. These generics will be very cheap, almost 60% less than the current price. That’s when the real battle will begin, because the Indian market is price-sensitive. Novo says they are not stressed by patent expiry, their focus is on quality and trust.
For now, Lilly is winning the game with Mounjaro – its price is high, ranging from 13,125 rupees for a small dose to 25,781 rupees for a large one. But if you look at the future, if generics come, this battle will be very tough. Big Pharma is doing the math, but India is giving them a real challenge.
source: Reuters
India is expected to have a large number of overweight people by 2050, and this has made the obesity drugs market very juicy. Analysts say the global market could reach $150 billion by the end of the decade. Although the US is still the largest market, India has shown very rapid uptake, although many pay for the drugs out of their own pockets.
The Indian market is currently growing at a rapid pace – Pharmarack said the July market was worth 6.28 billion rupees, up fivefold since 2021. Lilly’s Mounjaro has become the top seller by value, sprinting ahead of Novo’s Wegovy. Novo was forced to cut prices in November to stay competitive.
But things are not over yet – more than 20 Indian companies such as Dr Reddy’s, Cipla, Sun Pharma, Zydus and Lupin are planning to introduce generic versions of semaglutide after the patent expires in 2026. These generics will be very cheap, almost 60% less than the current price. That’s when the real battle will begin, because the Indian market is price-sensitive. Novo says they are not stressed by patent expiry, their focus is on quality and trust.
For now, Lilly is winning the game with Mounjaro – its price is high, ranging from 13,125 rupees for a small dose to 25,781 rupees for a large one. But if you look at the future, if generics come, this battle will be very tough. Big Pharma is doing the math, but India is giving them a real challenge.
source: Reuters
