Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro becomes India’s top-selling drug by value in October
U.S. pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly’s weight-loss therapy Mounjaro has become India’s best-selling drug by value in October, surpassing GSK’s antibiotic Augmentin, according to new data from research firm Pharmarack.
The injectable therapy generated 1 billion rupees ($11.38 million) in sales last month, compared to 800 million rupees for Augmentin. Although Augmentin led in sales volume — with 5.8 million units sold versus 85,000 units of Mounjaro — the latter’s higher price point propelled it to the top spot by value, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
India is fast becoming a key market for weight-loss medications, with analysts predicting the global obesity drug sector could exceed $150 billion annually by the end of the decade.
Launched in March 2025, Mounjaro — which helps regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite — has seen its sales double within months, ahead of rival Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, which entered India in June. Pharmarack data shows Mounjaro has generated 3.33 billion rupees in revenue to date.
“Mounjaro’s consumption in India by volume was ten times higher than Wegovy in October,” said Sheetal Sapale, Pharmarack’s Vice President (Commercial).
Lilly sold 262,000 doses of Mounjaro last month, compared to 26,000 doses of Wegovy. Both belong to a class of medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes.
In October, Eli Lilly also partnered with Indian drugmaker Cipla to market Mounjaro under a separate brand name, aiming to expand its reach in India’s growing diabetes and weight-loss market.
Globally, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk continue to face high demand and supply challenges for their anti-obesity therapies. Both companies have also agreed with the Trump administration to reduce prices of their GLP-1 drugs in U.S. government programs to improve access amid cost pressures.
Meanwhile, Wegovy’s active ingredient, semaglutide, is set to lose patent protection in India by March 2026, prompting several local pharmaceutical firms to develop their own generic versions of the blockbuster drug.
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