Within just six months of its launch, Eli Lilly’s drug Mounjaro has made a huge impact in India’s pharmaceutical market. The once-a-week injectable medicine, used to treat type 2 diabetes and help with weight loss, has become India’s second-highest selling drug in September, according to PharmaTrac, an industry tracker.

Mounjaro, which contains the active ingredient tirzepatide, earned ₹80 crore in sales in September, overtaking popular medicines like the antacid Pan (₹77 crore). It came close to Augmentin, an antibiotic by GlaxoSmithKline, which led the chart with ₹85 crore in sales. What’s impressive is how fast Mounjaro’s popularity has grown, its sales jumped 42% from ₹56 crore in August.

Developed by the US-based pharma giant Eli Lilly, Mounjaro became famous around the world for its results in treating both diabetes and obesity. The drug works in a special way, it targets two important hormones, GIP and GLP-1, which help control blood sugar and reduce appetite, leading to effective weight loss.

In India, Mounjaro was launched in April 2024 after getting approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). It is a prescription-only injectable drug available in 2.5 mg and 5 mg doses, priced between ₹14,000 and ₹17,500 per month, depending on the dose. Doctors usually start patients on a low dose and increase it gradually every four weeks. As more patients move to higher doses, sales automatically rise, which explains the recent demand surge.

The company has also received approval to sell Mounjaro in a ready-to-use prefilled KwikPen, making it easier for patients to inject themselves, which is expected to further boost sales.

When Mounjaro entered the Indian market, it created a buzz among both doctors and patients. Many Indian doctors reported receiving numerous calls and messages from people eager to buy the drug. Earlier, many patients had to import Mounjaro through friends or suppliers abroad, which was costly and inconvenient. Now that it is available in India, patients see it as a new and hopeful option for managing diabetes and obesity, two major health problems in the country.

India, with its large diabetic and overweight population, is one of the biggest potential markets for such drugs. With Mounjaro’s quick success, experts believe that India could become a key market for new generation weight-loss and diabetes treatments in the coming years.