The U.S. drugmaker plans to channel part of its previously announced $1 billion investment into contract manufacturing in India, with the goal of exporting locally produced medicines to markets worldwide, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The move would integrate India more deeply into Lilly’s broader global supply network, leveraging the country’s strong contract manufacturing base.
Sales of Mounjaro doubled within months of its launch in India, becoming Lilly’s top-selling drug by value in the country. The rapid growth highlights rising demand for obesity treatments in India, which is projected to have the world’s second-largest obese population by 2050.
“We are actually looking at India to be a hub, part of our global supply chain, and therefore supplying the world,” Winselow Tucker, president of Lilly India, told Reuters on the sidelines of the BioAsia conference in Hyderabad.
Although Lilly does not currently operate its own manufacturing facility in India, Tucker said the company would continue evaluating and expanding its investment in contract manufacturing over time. He declined to disclose the names of manufacturing partners or discuss plans for a dedicated plant.
In addition to expanding production, Lilly intends to introduce more products to the Indian market. These include its Alzheimer’s drug donanemab, as well as potential future obesity treatments such as the experimental oral weight-loss drug orforglipron, subject to regulatory approvals.
In India, Lilly competes with Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, maker of Wegovy. The Indian weight-loss drug market is expected to intensify this year as local companies prepare to launch lower-cost generic versions of Wegovy after Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide patent expires in India next month.
Novo Nordisk reduced Wegovy’s price by up to 37% last year in an effort to protect market share. However, Tucker downplayed concerns that Mounjaro could face similar pricing pressure, citing the drug’s formulation and efficacy.
“We have priced it (Mounjaro) for value, and we believe it is priced appropriately,” he said.
Rather than focusing on price competition, Lilly is prioritizing efforts to expand awareness of obesity and increase Mounjaro’s reach beyond major metropolitan areas. The company has strengthened distribution through partnerships with Indian drugmaker Cipla and digital health platforms Tata 1MG, Practo and Apollo, while also ramping up digital and social media campaigns.
