New Delhi: Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk Tuesday announced the launch of the firm’s global blockbuster fat-busting drug Wegovy in India, months after the launch of another top selling obesity drug Mounjaro in the country by US based pharma giant Eli Lilly & Company.
The drug has semaglutide as an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and has to be administered weekly. Its launch in the country comes months before the expiry of its patent in the country next year which is likely to see its generic versions flooding the Indian pharma markets.
It is the only drug in India to have received regulatory approval for reduction in risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, in addition to long-term chronic weight management, said the company.
Possibly in a bid to counter the first mover’s advantage that its competitor Maunjaro had by hitting the Indian market in March this year, Wegovy has been strategically launched in an innovative, easy-to-use pre-filled pen called FlexTouch devices, and not in traditional vials.
“This smart device will enable the users to self-administer the drug,” said Shrotriya, Corporate Vice-President and Managing Director, Novo Nordisk India while announcing the launch of the drug in Mumbai.
The drug is going to be available pan India in five dose strengths—0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg. While the monthly cost of the first three dose strengths will be Rs 17,345, the last two dose strengths will cost Rs 24,280 and Rs 26,050, respectively.
This means that the per dose cost of the initial three dose strength is going to be Rs 4,336.25.
“Obesity is not just a personal health concern—it is a chronic disease and a national epidemic that India cannot afford to ignore,” Shrotriya said. “Recognising this, we are proud to announce that we are bringing Wegovy to Indians as a transformative and evidence-based therapeutic solution with the convenience of a world-class, state-of-the-art pen device.”
“Additionally, we have an India-specific price with the benefit of the same price for the first three dosing strengths. With this we are reaffirming our commitment to address India’s growing burden of overweight and obesity,” he added.
Growing demand for obesity drugs
According to statistics by marketing research firm PharmaTrac for the month of June, Mounjaro—which has been available in India only in vials in the dose strength of 2.5 mg and 5 mg, costing Rs 14,000 and Rs 17,500 per month, respectively—had clocked nearly Rs 24 crore in sales since its 20 March launch.
Over 81,570 units of the drug, which has tirzepatide as its API, were sold in India during this period and the PharmaTrac report called it “a phenomenal trajectory for any new launch”.
Responding to a question by ThePrint on whether Mounjaro beating Wegovy in its India launch could be a disadvantage, Shrotriya said the company welcomes the “competition”.
“There is a huge gap in obesity care in India with nearly 254 million Indians estimated to suffer from the condition. The company likes the competition and just like we have maintained a pole position in supplying insulin (every one in two Insulin users in India uses a Novo Nordisk brand), we hope to reach the same position in obesity management,” Shrotriya said.
The largest-of-its-kind survey by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), which was released in 2023, said that 254 million Indians, or 28.6 percent of the population, had generalised obesity.
Also, India has the third highest number of people living with overweight and obesity, which is associated with over 200 diseases.
India’s anti-obesity drug market, currently valued at Rs 3,000-3,500 crore, is projected to grow nearly eightfold to Rs 25,000 crore by 2030, according to market estimates.
Who can benefit
Experts say that understanding around obesity has grown multifold over the years and it is now seen not only as a cosmetic but a health condition, even though tools available to manage it have been limited.
Wegovy delivers its full therapeutic strengths of semaglutide for complete obesity and weight management, even though low-dose semaglutide, under the brand name Rybelsus in the form of oral pills, has been available in India since January, 2022.
Rybelsus is indicated for type 2 diabetes or diabetes mellitus.
Semaglutide helps regulate blood sugar levels, and works by binding to receptors of the gut hormone Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). It contains a compound known as (GLP-1) receptor agonist, which mimics the naturally occurring gut hormone known to send signals of a full appetite to the brain. The drug is known to reduce body weight by around 15 percent after 68 weeks on average.
Semaglutide comes under three brand names—Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus. The last two are prescribed for Type 2 diabetes.
Novo Nordisk said clinical studies with semaglutide 2.4 mg show that at least 1 in 3 individuals achieved 20 percent or more weight loss when the drug was used alongside lifestyle interventions, including a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
The studies also found a 20% reduction in the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events—such as stroke, heart attack, and cardiovascular-related death—when semaglutide was used in addition to standard care in people with established cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity.
Dr Ambrish Mithal, chairman and head, endocrinology and diabetes with Max Healthcare, who was present at the launch of the drug said that typically weight-loss rugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro can be indicated for people with BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 and above in the absence of other comorbidities.
However, in people with other pre-existing conditions, either of the drugs can be initiated at a BMI of 27 and above, in conjunction with diet, lifestyle changes and under expert supervision, he said.
Obesity has increasingly been recognised as the root cause of various non-communicable diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular conditions, poly cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), infertility, disorders of kidney and liver and various cancers, among others.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: Fat-busting drug Mounjaro launched in India. Here’s how much it will cost