Eli Lilly launches famous weight-loss drug Mounjaro to India

The much-awaited launch of Mounjaro, an injectable drug used to treat obesity, overweight, and type 2 diabetes, has been launched in India by Eli Lilly and Company (India).

Globally Mounjaro, and peers in this category like Ozempic/Wegovy from Novo Nordisk, have been in the headlines as popular “weight-loss” medicines.

A 2.5 mg vial of Mounjaro is priced at INR 3,500 (MRP) and the 5 mg vial is priced at INR 4,375(MRP), a company spokesperson told businessline, adding “This India-specific pricing reflects Lilly’s commitment to expanding access to innovative treatments in the country.” 

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Mounjaro is a once-a-week, prescription-based medicine that reduces food intake, body weight, and decreases fat mass by regulating appetite and has been demonstrated to regulate lipid utilisation, the company said. The drug activates both GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) hormone receptors, it added.  

The drug is indicated along with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in adults with an initial body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater (obesity) or 27 kg/m2 or greater (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition. Mounjaro is also indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, it added.

“The dual burden of obesity and type 2 diabetes is rapidly emerging as a major public health challenge in India. Lilly is committed to collaborating with the government and industry to promote awareness and improve the prevention and management of these diseases,” Winselow Tucker, President and General Manager, Lilly India, said in a statement.

India is home to the second largest population of people living with diabetes, about 100 million.  And obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, linked to over 200 health complications, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease, and obstructive sleep apnea, the note said.

Both Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have been taking their respective popular injectable drugs – brands Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) and Ozempic /Wegovy (semaglutide) to more countries.  The oral version of semaglutide from Novo Nordisk is available in India, while an injectable version is awaited.  

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Two trials

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) was evaluated in two robust global clinical development programs: the SURMOUNT – 1 trials for chronic weight management and the SURPASS trials for type 2 diabetes, the company said.  

“In SURMOUNT-1, a study in 2,539 adults with obesity, or excess weight and weight-related medical problems not including diabetes, people taking Mounjaro as an adjunct to diet and exercise experienced substantial weight loss compared with placebo at 72 weeks. At the highest dose (15 mg), people taking Mounjaro lost on average 21.8 kg, while at the lowest dose (5 mg), people lost on average 15.4 kg (compared to 3.2 kg on placebo),” the company said.

In phase 3 SURPASS program, efficacy was evaluated for Mounjaro 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg used alone or in combination with commonly prescribed diabetes medications, including metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors, sulfonylureas and insulin glargine. “Participants in the SURPASS program achieved average A1C reductions between 1.8 percent and percent for Mounjaro 5 mg and between 1.7 percent and 2.4 percent for both Mounjaro 10 mg and Mounjaro 15 mg over the period of 40 weeks.^{Overall, the program demonstrated that Mounjaro, whether used alone or with other diabetes medications, reduced A1C by up to 2.4 percent,” the company added.}