NEW DELHI: The wait for India’s weight loss patients is almost over, Eli Lilly, the pharmaceutical company, received the first approval for the sale of its blockbuster drug Tirzepatide in India last month. While India has given the initial nod for it mainly for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, it has been used elsewhere to treat weight loss.  Weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Zepbound, which have been huge hits in the American and European markets — Ozempic has been credited with boosting Denmark’s economy — will soon make its debut in the Indian markets.

Last week, the apex drug regulator’s, Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), subject expert committee gave the green light to Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide — the active ingredient in the company’s Mounjaro and Zepbound. Medical experts note that tirzepatide works by mimicking two important hormones in the body: GIP and GLP-1. It’s important to note here that Mounjaro is the brand name for diabetes, while Zepbound is for weight loss.

In November 2023, Eli Lilly, another US pharma major, got US FDA approval for the drug Zepbound to treat obesity. This came just over a year after its type 2 diabetes medication, Mounjaro, was launched. Like Ozempic, Mounjaro too led to weight loss among users and began to see rampant off-label use. Zepbound and Mounjaro contain tirzepatide as the active ingredient. Both face shortages in the global market.