(MENAFN- Live Mint) Sales of Eli Lilly's blockbuster weight-loss drug Mounjaro have soared in India, making it the top-selling brand in October, just six months after its launch in the world's most populous nation.

The drug registered sales of ₹100 crore in October, unseating the previous best-selling antibiotic Augmentin, which recorded sales of ₹80 crore during the month, according to data from intelligence platform Pharmarack on Friday. Since its launch late in March 2025, Mounjaro's total sales have reached ₹333 crore.

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Augmentin, the London-headquartered GSK's broad-range antibiotic, still retains its top position on a moving annual total (MAT) basis, with sales of ₹863 crore in twelve months to October 2025. MAT refers to the total sales recorded over the latest 12-month period.

This marks Eli Lilly's sharp capture of India's nascent anti-obesity market, outpacing competitor Novo Nordisk. The brand took the second spot in sales in September, Pharmarack data showed.

The brand's popularity is being driven by quick adoption among the country's affluent population. An analysis of sales pockets in Mumbai by Pharmarack showed that clusters with affluent or celebrity populace, like the Worli-Dadar-Wadala region, had higher uptake.“These localities also have relatively higher concentration of Anti-obesity and Weight loss clinics in Mumbai,” the Pharmarack report showed.

The development highlights India's growing willingness to pay a premium for lifestyle drugs. However, Mounjaro's growth is value-driven, with volumes still modest, noted Sheetal Sapale, vice-president, commercial, Pharmarack.

Augmentin has held on to the top position for the past several years, she said, adding that it will likely continue to retain its leadership.“The nature of the drug is anti-infective, the need for it isn't going to die,” she told Mint.

Plus, with branded generic versions of anti-obesity drugs set to hit the market next year, pricing will drop, and value growth may stabilize, she added.

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The market for anti-obesity drugs in India, which was worth about ₹600 crore as of July 2025, could grow to ₹2,000-3,000 crore by FY27, Shrikant Akolkar, pharma research analyst at Nuvama, had earlier told Mint.

Lilly's gains

Last month, Eli Lilly also struck a deal with domestic giant Cipla to distribute anti-diabetes and weight-loss drug Tirzepatide, under a second brand name Yurpeak, to widen its reach.

The idea of roping in Cipla is to penetrate markets which are currently beyond Eli Lilly's reach. The partnership also marks Cipla's entry into the fast-growing weight-loss drug market in India. India's weight-loss drug market is projected to grow rapidly, with over 254 million people living with obesity and more than 100 million adults with diabetes.

Mounjaro, or Tirzepatide, starts at ₹14,000 a month for the 2.5 mg dose, going up to ₹27,500 for the 15-mg dose. The drug is available in a pen-filled version as well as vials, and is taken as a once-a-week jab.

Tirzepatide is a prescription drug that activates both glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors. It is used to treat type-2 diabetes, and manage weight in overweight and obese adults with at least one weight-related comorbidity. A person with a body mass index of at least 27 is considered overweight, and at least 30 is termed obese.

GLP-1 drugs have gained global popularity over the past five years, with the market expected to grow to $95 billion by 2030, according to Goldman Sachs, an investment bank. While Mounjaro was the first anti-obesity drug to be launched in India, it was soon followed by competitor Novo Nordisk's drug Wegovy (semaglutide) in July.

Race with Novo Nordisk

India has become the latest battleground for Lilly and Novo Nordisk, with its large volume of addressable patients.

Novo Nordisk launched its weight loss brand Wegovy in India in July as a pen-filled once-a-week drug. Semaglutide has also been available as an oral drug called Rybelsus since 2022.

After gaining steep popularity until November 2024, Rybelsus sales stabilized and seems to be now impacted with new entrants, according to Pharmarack's latest report.

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Mounjaro has also continued to outpace Wegovy, with monthly sales of the former being almost 10 times that of Wegovy.

Novo Nordisk is also likely to launch Ozempic (semaglutide) in India soon.

Semaglutide, the compound in Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus, is set to lose its patent exclusivity in India in March, which will unlock the gates for branded generics to enter.

Several top drugmakers in the country, including Sun Pharma, Mankind Pharma, and Dr Reddy's plan to be among the first to launch generic, or copycat versions, of the drug.

Generic drugs will be launched at cheaper costs, and volumes of the drug are expected to grow as they become accessible to a larger population.

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