Mounjaro Becomes India’s Top-Selling Drug by Value as Demand for Weight-Loss Therapies Surges

Eli Lilly’s weight-loss and diabetes drug Mounjaro has emerged as India’s highest-selling medicine by value in October, overtaking GSK’s widely used antibiotic Augmentin, according to Pharmarack data. Mounjaro generated ₹1,000 crore in sales for the month, significantly higher than Augmentin’s ₹800 crore, despite a far smaller sales volume. By units, Augmentin sold 5.8 million, while Mounjaro sold 85,000, reflecting Mounjaro’s substantially higher price point.

Since its India launch in March, Mounjaro’s uptake has accelerated rapidly, with total revenue reaching ₹3.33 billion by the end of October. It also outpaced Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, which entered the market in June. In October, Mounjaro consumption was 10 times that of Wegovy, with Lilly selling 262,000 doses versus Novo Nordisk’s 26,000.

Both drugs are GLP-1 receptor agonists, increasingly used for obesity and diabetes management as lifestyle diseases rise in India. The expanding market has intensified competition, with Lilly partnering Cipla to market Mounjaro under a separate brand. Patent expiry for Wegovy’s active ingredient semaglutide in 2026 has also triggered interest among Indian manufacturers developing local versions.

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