Dawn
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14:00 Jun 24, 2025
Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk on Tuesday launched its blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy in India, three months after Eli Lilly began marketing its rival product Mounjaro in the world’s most populous nation. Wegovy is already under distribution and is expected to be in pharmacies by the end of the month, Novo Nordisk India Managing Director Vikrant Shrotriya said at a briefing. Lilly and Novo have been part of obesity awareness programs in India in the lead-up to their drug launches there. The market potential in India, a nation of more than 1.4 billion, is significant, with obesity and diabetes rates steadily climbing. Sales of Lilly’s weight-loss drug Mounjaro jumped 60 per cent between April and May, industry experts said. Analysts said Wegovy, a once-a-week injection, had been priced competitively to Mounjaro in India, and that is likely to encourage wider adoption of those drugs. Global demand for both Mounjaro and Wegovy has skyrocketed in recent years, with supply limited, leading to shortages in coun...