Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, the blockbuster weight loss drug, debuts in India: How much will it cost, who needs it, key benefits

“Clinical data on Wegovy’s active ingredient semaglutide demonstrates not just weight loss but also considerable improvement in cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory markers. For Indians, where diabetes and heart disease continue to rise, having access to such an evidence-based therapy offers holistic benefits beyond weight management,” said diabetologist Dr V Mohan.

How expensive is the drug?

The delivery device will contain four doses. The 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg doses will be priced at Rs 17,345 a month, translating to a weekly cost of Rs 4,366. The 1.7 mg dose will be priced at Rs 24,280 per month, while the 2.4 mg dose will be priced at Rs 26,015. This is slightly more expensive than its competitor Mounjaro, which has been priced at Rs 3,500 per 2.5 mg single-dose vial and Rs 4,375 per 5 mg single-dose vial, adding up to anywhere between Rs 14,000 to Rs 17,500 a month.

How is Wegovy different from other drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro?

Wegovy is made of semaglutide, a GLP 1A receptor agonist, which mimics the naturally occurring hormone GLP-1, responsible for regulating blood sugar, reducing appetite and slowing down gastric emptying. Wegovy is approved for weight loss but only if you are above a certain weight, what we call morbid obesity. Ozempic is used more for diabetes management. The main difference between the two is the dose. Rybelsus is an oral pill for the same.

Mounjaro is made up of tirzepatide, which mimics the function of natural hormones GIP and GLP-1. It has a double effect, of increasing insulin secretion in response to food intake and improving glucose control and weight loss.

What are semaglutide’s benefits as per studies?

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. The caveat, however, is that a person needs to continue taking the medicine. A study showed that those who discontinued the medicine started putting on some of the body weight. In addition, the doctors are also concerned about muscle loss with the medicine.

Studies have also demonstrated that semaglutide can reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes by 20%. And the risk of all-cause mortality by 19%.

In addition, studies have shown a 69% reduction in heart failure events. There is also evidence to show that the drug resolves fatty build-up on the liver in 63% of the patients and even improves fibrosis — hardening of the liver because of the fatty deposits — in 37% of the patients.

“There are a lot of drugs that are in the pipeline, including drugs with once-a-month dosing instead of every week and very effective oral pills. What is more exciting is that we are starting to see some neurological benefits as well — there is some evidence to suggest that these drugs are reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s,” said Dr Ambrish Mithal, chairman of endocrinology and diabetes at Max Healthcare.

How does it compare to its competitor tirzepatide?

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 the 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.