Mounjaro dominates GLP-1 segment that crossed Rs 1000 crore sales in 2025

GLP-1

• Mounjaro led Indian pharma sales in Dec 2025, reaching Rs.600 crore since launch
• GLP-1 agonist sales rose 128% year-on-year, outpacing overall market growth
• Branded generic obesity drugs may launch in March 2026, boosting usage.

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Eli Lilly's anti-diabetes and weight loss drug Mounjaro (tirzepatide) retained top spot by sales value in the Indian pharmaceutical market (IPM) in December 2025. According to PharmaTrac data., Mounjaro launched in March last year, added Rs.105 crore in December, taking its total sales to Rs.600 crore in sales, reflecting rapid uptake despite hardly any insurance coverage and out‑of‑pocket affordability constraints.

The PharmaTrac data only captures sales done by chemists. Analysts believe that Mounjaro’s actual sales could be much higher if direct sales to doctors and patients are accounted.

Sales of GLP‑1 agonists category jumped 128% year‑on‑year in the 12 months through December 2025, lifting the category to about Rs.1,170 crore in annual revenue, as per PharmaTrac data. The growth sharply outpaced the broader Indian Pharmaceutical Market’s 8.1 percent expansion, making obesity‑linked treatments the industry’s fastest‑growing pocket.

Mounjaro, approved for diabetes but widely used off‑label for weight loss, ranked No. 1 by value among all brands in December, a rare achievement for an injected, premium‑priced therapy. On a rolling‑year basis, the drug clocked roughly

By contrast, Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide franchise—Wegovy, Ozempic and oral Rybelsus added

Rs. 26 crore sales in December, holding ground. While semaglutide continues to anchor the GLP‑1 market, PharmaTrac data suggest growth has moderated as prescribers increasingly pivot toward higher‑efficacy molecules such as tirzepatide. Volumes remain measured, highlighting the category’s premium, access‑driven dynamics.

December marked the point where obesity treatment shifted from a niche lifestyle intervention to an “established condition” in Indian clinical practice, the PharmaTrac report noted. The month also widened the competitive gap between first‑generation GLP‑1 therapies and newer dual‑agonist drugs such as Mounjaro.

Momentum is set to spill over to Indian drugmakers. Eli Lilly’s partnership with Cipla, and Novo Nordisk’s tie‑up with Emcure, announced in late 2025, are expected to materially expand access through local distribution and selective price calibration. PharmaTrac expects the full impact of these collaborations to play out over the coming quarters.

A bigger inflection is likely from March 2026, when branded generics—typically launched at 20–35 percent of innovator prices—are expected to enter the obesity market. Historically, such launches trigger a two‑to‑five‑fold jump in unit consumption within months, even as price erosion tempers value growth.