India's obesity drug use just the 'tip of the iceberg': Novo Nordisk MD

Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharmaceutical company behind the weight-loss injection Wegovy, plans to intensify its efforts in India, positioning the drug as the only obesity therapy backed by strong evidence of cardiovascular and kidney benefits.

The company’s corporate vice president and India managing director, Vikrant Shrotriya, told India Today that Wegovy’s broader push follows a major price reduction aimed at improving accessibility.

Earlier this week, Novo Nordisk announced a 37% price cut across all dosage strengths of Wegovy, bringing its weekly cost for the starting dose down to Rs 2,712.

According to Shrotriya, the decision was driven by patient feedback and designed to make obesity treatment more affordable and sustainable.

Wegovy was introduced in India in June, two months after its rival Mounjaro, developed by US-based pharma giant Eli Lilly, entered the market.

Mounjaro, containing tirzepatide, quickly gained traction and became India’s top-selling drug within seven months, recording sales worth Rs 100 crore in October. In contrast, Wegovy’s sales reached only about 10% of that value.

'INDIA NEEDS TO BEND OBESITY CURVE'

Both Mounjaro and Wegovy were initially developed as type 2 diabetes treatments in lower doses and are administered as weekly injections that significantly reduce body weight in obese patients.

Globally, these GLP-1-based therapies have become blockbuster drugs, driving billions in sales and reshaping the obesity treatment landscape.

India’s anti-obesity drug market, currently valued at Rs3,000–3,500 crore, is expected to expand nearly eightfold to Rs 25,000 crore by 2030, according to market estimates.

Shrotriya emphasized that



Wegovy has done “fairly well so far within a short time-span” and its prospects in India are strong.

He acknowledged that while Ozempic — another semaglutide-based drug indicated for diabetes — remains more familiar internationally, Wegovy is gaining momentum.

“Given the toll of obesity in India, which affects around 250 million people, imagine how many could benefit. These therapies have only been in India for six months — their runway is going to be a decade or two,” he said.

Shrotriya described India’s obesity drug uptake as “just the tip of the iceberg,” pointing to widespread prevalence across demographics.

A 2023 survey by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) found that 28.6 percent of Indians — about 25.4 crore people — are affected by generalised obesity.

Obesity, now recognized as a chronic and relapsing disease, is a major driver of type 2 diabetes and is linked to over 200 complications, including hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, and sleep apnea.

Shrotriya noted that the US has already managed to “bend the curve” on obesity with the help of pharmacological therapies and expressed optimism that India could follow suit.

He added that Wegovy’s edge lies in its broader health benefits. Clinical studies have shown that semaglutide reduces the risk of kidney failure, heart attack, and death among patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease more effectively than tirzepatide.

With obesity emerging as one of India’s most pressing public health challenges, Novo Nordisk aims to position Wegovy not just as a weight-loss solution, but as a therapy capable of transforming long-term health outcomes.