Hyderabad, India

US pharma company Eli Lilly is gearing up to introduce its flagship diabetes medication and popular obesity treatment, Mounjaro, into the Indian market, Reuters news agency reported citing the company's CEO.

India is a significant market opportunity due to its high population, escalating rates of obesity, particularly among women, and a substantial number of individuals grappling with type-2 diabetes, ranking second globally.

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Concurrently, Indian pharmaceutical firms are exploring their formulations for weight-loss drugs, while counterfeit versions proliferate online.

Eli Lilly CEO  David Ricks, speaking during the BioAsia conference in the south Indian state of Telangana,  expressed optimism about Mounjaro's entry into India, pending regulatory approval.

The company remains open to partnerships to enhance market reach, ensuring both patient access and company viability, he said.

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"Our famous Mounjaro – it's under review now. So, perhaps as early as next year to the Indian market," Ricks told Reuters on the sidelines of the BioAsia conference.

Also read | Explained | Ozempic, Wegovy and now Zepbound: The era of magic pills for treating obesity

Sold as Mounjaro in the UK and Europe, and as Zepbound for weight loss in the US, the drug, chemically known as tirzepatide, is undergoing regulatory review in India. Lilly leverages data from global trials, which include participants from India.

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Mounjaro, alongside Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic, belongs to a class of medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. These drugs, originally developed to manage blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, have gained popularity for their additional benefit of inducing satiety.

Also watch | Gravitas | Oprah admits to using weight-loss drug

Analysts project the global market for these therapies to exceed $100 billion by the decade's end.

Novo Nordisk aims to introduce Wegovy in India by 2026, while Indian pharmaceutical giants including Zydus Lifesciences, Sun Pharma, Cipla, Dr. Reddy's, and Lupin, are already in the race, developing their versions, Reuters said in a report.

Ricks stressed on the need for India to streamline its regulatory processes, enhance patent protection, and rationalise policies to attract greater investment from global pharmaceutical companies.

Simplifying regulations would facilitate the entry of innovative medicines into the market and bolster the export capabilities of local biotech firms.

(With inputs from agencies)