Eli Lilly’s anti-obesity and diabetes drug Mounjaro has become the No. 1 brand by sales value in the Indian Pharmaceutical Market (IPM) for the first time in the month of October.
The drug clocked nearly Rs 100 crore in monthly sales, a month-on-month growth of approximately 25 percent, according to Pharmarack data, which tracks the pharma market.
Mounjaro eclipsed GSK’s long-standing leader Augmentin on value. Launched just seven months ago in March, Mounjaro has already amassed Rs 333 crore in cumulative revenue, underscoring the explosive demand for weight-loss and metabolic disorder treatments.
The broader anti-diabetic therapy segment, which includes Mounjaro, grew 12.5 percent year-on-year in October, outpacing the overall IPM growth of 9.5 percent by value. Mounjaro alone contributed around 5 percent to the anti-diabetic segment, which clocked sales worth Rs 1,976 crore in October.
The Pharmarack 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.
The drug’s rapid rise is attributed to a confluence of factors: a more user-friendly pen formulation, aggressive physician outreach, and a strategic partnership with Cipla that expanded its reach beyond metro cities under the co-branded name Yurpeak.
The October milestone was further helped by a GST rate cut from 18 percent to 5 percent, which significantly lowered the monthly cost of therapy — by Rs 876 to Rs 1,096 depending on dosage — making it more accessible to chronic care patients.
"Mounjaro still has massive headroom to grow in coming months, there is a possibility of the brand would reach Rs 2,000 crore per annum sales and stabilise from there," an industry analyst said.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
