Mounjaro Takes Early Lead in India’s Weight-Loss Drug Market, Outpaces Wegovy by a Wide Margin
In July 2025, Mounjaro clocked ₹47 crore in sales with nearly 1.57 lakh injections, while Wegovy lagged behind at ₹7 crore and 5,000 units.
India’s growing market for anti-obesity injections has quickly turned into a fierce battleground between two major players—Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro. But sales data shows that Mounjaro has surged ahead, dominating the market just months after both drugs were launched.
As per market intelligence firm Pharmarack, the GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist) drug segment has more than doubled in value over two years—from ₹288 crore in July 2023 to ₹606 crore in July 2025. The market’s expansion has been largely driven by semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro), both of which were launched earlier this year.
In just July 2025, Wegovy registered ₹7 crore in sales from around 5,000 injections, whereas Mounjaro recorded ₹47 crore in sales from nearly 1.57 lakh units—almost 30 times more.
“While both Wegovy and Mounjaro are seeing steady month-on-month growth, companies like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have done substantial groundwork with doctors and specialists to target the right patients,” said Sheetal Sapale, Vice-President (Commercial) at Pharmarack, speaking to News18.
She added that while Wegovy enjoys strong prescription support due to the popularity of Rybelsus (an oral form of semaglutide), it requires more promotion to capture injectable users.
Why is Mounjaro Leading the Race?
Mounjaro’s lead isn’t just about being launched earlier (in March, compared to Wegovy’s July debut). Experts point out that pricing and effectiveness are playing critical roles.
While Wegovy’s monthly cost ranges between ₹17,000 and ₹26,000, Mounjaro is slightly more affordable, priced between ₹14,000 and ₹17,500.
“Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) has shown slightly higher weight-loss results than semaglutide (Wegovy), which has made it more appealing for doctors to prescribe,” said Dr Sambit Dash, Associate Professor of Biochemistry at MUCM Malaysia.
Dr Dash also noted that Mounjaro’s international presence, including widespread adoption in the UK, and Eli Lilly’s aggressive marketing, have helped build stronger brand awareness globally.
Celebrity endorsements have also played a part. Over the past year, public figures like Rosie O’Donnell, Eric Stonestreet, and Renee Graziano have openly talked about using Mounjaro for weight management. The drug has been widely discussed in media and on social platforms, further boosting its image.
Clinical Advantage
Scientific data backs up Mounjaro’s edge. A 2025 meta-analysis comparing tirzepatide and semaglutide showed that:
- Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) users lost on average 11.4% of their body weight
- Semaglutide (Wegovy) users saw an average loss of 7.3%
A 72-week randomised controlled trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine also revealed:
- Mounjaro users lost around 20.2% of their weight
- Wegovy users recorded a 13.7% reduction
Wegovy May Still Catch Up
Despite falling behind in the initial months, experts say Wegovy still holds strong growth potential.
“Yes, Mounjaro is leading and more effective for weight loss, but Wegovy is also a powerful molecule. It will likely scale up soon,” said Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman of Fortis C-DOC and a leading endocrinologist.
With increasing public awareness, prescriber familiarity through Rybelsus, and Novo Nordisk’s strong global presence, Wegovy’s performance in India is expected to improve over time.
For now, however, Mounjaro sits comfortably as the market leader in India’s rapidly expanding weight-loss injection segment.
