'Weight loss drugs can be life changing but are not without risks,' says Dr Vishnu Radhakrishnan as he explains the truth behind Ozempic and Mounjaro.
'The unregulated marketing has to stop. People are getting recommendations for this from gym trainers, from marriage counsellors -- that is simply unacceptable.' ''There are many ways to lose weight -- eat less, fast, exercise, eat healthy. That is how you lose weight.'
The bumper rise is due to the rising demand for the drug and patients' gradual shift towards its higher dosage.
Abbott will exclusively distribute and market Extensior in the country, becoming the second company to secure sole distribution rights for Novo's semaglutide portfolio in India, after Emcure Pharma.
'Any promotional activity carried out under the pretext of disease awareness, influencer engagement, corporate campaigns, or similar activities that create brand recall/product visibility of the prescription shall also be treated as violations.'
While the introduction of branded generics is likely to accelerate volumes for GLP-1 agonists, value growth may moderate because of price erosion.
At the heart of this debate is Section 3(d) of the Patents Act, a safeguard designed to prevent drugmakers from extending monopoly protection through trivial modifications to existing medicines.
'As more patients are prescribed these drugs, intolerance due to gastrointestinal and other side effects will become more visible, leading to higher discontinuation rates.'
Mounjaro is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in adults with an initial body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater (obesity) or 27 kg/m2 or greater (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition.
Biocon Limited has launched its GLP-1 peptide, liraglutide, for the treatment of diabetes and obesity in the Netherlands, as the biopharmaceutical firm positions itself as a global player in the fast-growing diabetes and obesity market currently dominated by the likes of Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.
The semaglutide patent expiry next year could unleash a wave of generic versions from Indian drugmakers, with prices expected to go lower -- at least 80 per cent.
Emcure Pharmaceuticals on Monday said it saw Poviztra, its newly launched semaglutide brand, as a "long-term" opportunity in India's fast-evolving obesity and cardiometabolic therapy market, even as price competition in the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) segment intensified.
Danish pharma major Novo Nordisk on Friday launched its blockbuster type 2 diabetes treatment injection Ozempic, globally popular for its weight-loss benefits.
'Willingness to try new drugs for obesity management have propelled the growth of this market, which today is almost five times what it was five years ago.'
Prices for Indian consumers are expected to come down significantly from the current Rs 17,000-Rs 26,000 monthly.
'It is not just the US and European opportunity, but it is a huge global opportunity.'
'However, we have seen weakness in our active pharmaceutical ingredients business.'
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