Novo Nordisk drops price of its weight loss drug as competitor takes over the market

The monthly sales of Mounjaro was almost ten-fold that of Wegovy in October. It also became the top-selling drug by value, with sales of around Rs 100 crore in October, according to the market research firm Pharmarack. The data also shows that the sales of the oral version of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide — sold as Rybelsus — also seems to be impacted with the new entrants in the market.

“Ever since the launch of this innovative chronic weight management medication this year, we have dedicatedly worked towards making it accessible to the maximum number of people living with overweight or obesity in India. We have made sure to listen to our patient and doctor communities and take active measures for the benefit of people at large,” said Vikrant Shrotriya, Managing Director of Novo Nordisk India, in a statement.

Indians could finally access the weight loss drugs that have taken the world by storm earlier this year with the launch of Mounjaro in March and Wegovy in June.

Studies have shown that people on Wegovy lost nearly 15% of their body weight on average, with one in three losing up to 20% of their body weight. This is comparable to weight-loss achieved with bariatric surgery. A head-on trial of semaglutide and tirzepatide showed that, on average, more people on tirzepatide were likely to lose weight. At the end of a one-year period, 42.3% on tirzepatide and 18.1% on semaglutide lost 15% of their body weight. The average weight loss was also higher with tirzepatide — 15.3% with tirzepatide as compared to 8.3% with semaglutide.

Of course, Wegovy mimics the functioning of the GLP1 hormone, which stimulates the pancreas to release more insulin when blood sugar is high, slows down gastric emptying and reduces appetite by impacting the brain’s satiety centre. Mounjaro is made of tirzepatide which mimics GLP1 and GIP hormones, the latter also stimulating insulin production.