Mounjaro Launched in India: Price To Side-Effects, All You Need To Know About Ozempic-Like Weight Loss Drug

Mounjaro India: US-based Ely Lilly on Thursday announced the sale of its popular anti-diabetic weight loss drug Mounjaro in India after receiving marketing authorisation from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

Mounjaro has been a globally popular medicine and is commonly used for management of type 2 diabetes or diabetes mellitus. It is also prescribed by doctors for weight management. Eli-Lilly was striving for Mounjaro's entry in India for a long time amid competition from rival pharmaceutical company and Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk.

What is Mounjaro drug?

Eli Lilly's Mounjaro is chemically called as tirzepatide, and is currently sold in the United Kingdom and Europe under the same brand name for both diabetes and weight loss, reported Reuters. In the United States, it is sold with the name Zepbound for the management of weight and obesity.

"The dual burden of obesity and type 2 diabetes is rapidly emerging as a major public health challenge in India," Reuters quoted President and General Manager Winselow Tucker at Lilly India.

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Mounjaro India price and dosage

The medicine is generally taken in the form of an injection once in a month, reported Reuters. According to the news agency, the Mounjaro will be sold at a price of Rs 4,375 ($50.67) for a 5 mg vial and Rs 3,500 rupees ($40.54) for a 2.5 mg vial. According to experts, the high price of the Mounjaro drug may limit its usage in India, especially among middle-class who rely on comparatively affordable anti-diabetic drugs like Metformin and Glimiperide.

The weight loss medicine is sold for $1,086.37 for each fill in the United States. Whereas, Lilly offers 7.5 mg and 10 mg vials of Zepbound for $499 a month via its website.

Mounjaro launched in India: What are its side-effects?

According to WebMD, nausea, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, constipation, upset stomach or pain are most common Mounjaro side-effects. Its serious side-effects may include allergic reactions leading to breathlessness, fever, swollen lymph nodes, swelling, itching, joint pain, etc.

Other weight loss drug products set to arrive in India

Apart from Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, several other drugmakers are also working to bring their weight loss drug products in India. Eli Lilly's competitor, Novo Nordisk is pushing for the launch of its weight loss drug in India as early as 2025. Novo's weight-loss drug is Wegovy which is sold in countries like the US and UK. Wegovy's active ingredient is semaglutide, which is reportedly going to be off patent in 2026 in India.

Novo Nordisk also manufactures another weight loss drug Ozempic, which is also sold for controlling high blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. Both the medicines sales has led to a significant surge in earnings for the company.
Several Indian drugmakers including Sun Pharma, Cipla, Dr Reddy's, Lupin, etc are also racing to make generic versions of these weight loss drugs to earn profit from the growing market for these drugs. As per news agency Reuters, the market of these drugs is approximately valued at $150 billion in the next decade.

A large number of people in India are dealing with obesity. According to an Indian Council of Medical Research's report, the recent surge in obesity in Indians is the result of high consumption of ultra-processed foods, sugar and fat foods, sedentary lifestyle, reduced physical activity and limited access to diverse foods.