Eli Lilly expects to launch its obesity drug tirzepatide in India as early as next year, the US drugmaker's CEO David Ricks told Reuters on Wednesday, February 28.
When asked about potentially partnering with others to bring the drug to the market, Ricks said the US drugmaker was "open to any way to reach more patients as long as it makes sense for the company and we can supply the market."
The drug is sold under the brand name Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for weight-loss in the United States.
India should boost patent protection, get rid of redundant policies and create a social safety net to win more investment from global drugmakers, Ricks said in his keynote address at the BioAsia conference in Telangana.
Lilly and Danish rival Novo Nordisk make highly effective and popular drugs for diabetes and weight-loss, which belong to a class of treatments known as GLP-1 agonists.
In 2023, a top Novo Nordisk official told Reuters it is targeting to bring its blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy in India in 2026.
The global market for these treatments is expected to reach at least $100 billion by the end of the decade, according to analyst estimates.
First Published: Feb 28, 2024 2:24 PM IST
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