Eli Lilly may manufacture weight-loss drug Mounjaro in India in future, says CEO David Ricks

Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks

Eli Lilly may look at manufacturing its weight-loss drug Mounjaro in India in future as it expands its global footprint, CEO David Ricks, who is visiting the country, has said.

His comments come days after the American pharma major launched Mounjaro (tirzepatide), a weekly injection for obesity and Type 2 diabetes, after obtaining approval from India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

"It is of course possible," Ricks told CNBC-TV18. "There is a lot of discussion in the air about localising or regionalising supply chains. India is still a smaller market for us but with Mounjaro, it can become an important market for us. We are open-minded possibilities here.”

The CEO said the company was manufacturing insulin in India, which proved to be quite successful. "We need to talk to those partners. We need to understand what the demand is in the market and we need to get comfortable in the regulatory environment," Ricks added.

To a question if the company would be open to partnerships in India before setting up its opens manufacturing facility, Ricks said it was. "Obesity is an enormous public health crisis, so is diabetes. No one company can do that alone," he added.

"The prevalence of diabetes is very high in this country. And it is a very serious condition. Mounjaro is a very big opportunity, given that a significant number of people have diabetes in India," he added.

The company plans to continue expanding its supply chains, as part of its $50-billion expansion plan.

As reported by Moneycontrol,  the 2.5 mg vial of the popular weight loss drug is priced at Rs 3,500  and the 5 mg vial at Rs 4,375.