US drugmaker Eli Lilly has struck a deal with domestic drug giant Cipla Ltd to expand the reach of its blockbuster weight loss drug tirsepatide and double down on India’s booming market ahead of an impending wave of anti-obesity generics.
Eli Lilly, which already sells its weight loss drug in India under the brand name Mounjaro, will supply the drug to Cipla, which will promote and sell it under a second brand name, Yurpeak. Both drugs will cost the same.
“This strategic agreement aims to expand the availability of tirzepatide by enabling broader access across the country outside of cities where Lilly already has an established presence,” the two companies said in a joint statement on Thursday.
The idea of roping in Cipla is to tap into markets that are currently out of Eli Lilly’s reach. The partnership also marks Cipla’s entry into the rapidly growing slimming drug market in India. India’s weight loss drug market is expected to grow rapidly, with more than 254 million people living with obesity and more than 100 million adults suffering from diabetes.
Mounjaro now starts in ₹14,000 per month for a dose of 2.5 mg, up to ₹27,500 for a dose of 15 mg. Like Mounjaro, Yurpeak will be available as a multi-dose pre-filled pen. Each pen contains four fixed doses administered once a week. The pen will be available in six strengths: 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg or 15 mg.
The possibility of losing weight
Mounjaro, which only entered India in March, became the second best-selling drug in the country in September. ₹Sales per month 80 million. Overall, the drug has a sales value ₹233 crore by September.
Tirzepatide is a prescription dual agonist of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management in overweight and obese adults with at least one weight-related comorbidity. A person with a body mass index of at least 27 is considered overweight, and at least 30 is considered obese.
GLP-1 drugs have gained worldwide popularity in the fight against obesity. While Mounjaro was the first anti-obesity drug to be launched in India, it was soon followed by rival Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) in July.
India has become a key battleground for Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, with both companies racing to capture the lucrative market before generics enter. Semaglutide is set to lose its patent in the country in March 2026, allowing a wave of cheaper generics to flood the market. Major Indian pharmaceutical companies such as Cipla, Dr Reddy’s and Sun Pharma have indicated that they plan to launch their own copycat versions of the drug next year.
The anti-obesity drug market that was worth it ₹600 million from July 2025 could rise to ₹2,000-3,000 crore by FY27, according to Shrikant Akolkar, pharma research analyst at Nuvama.
Cipla CEO Umang Vohra hinted during a post-earnings interview with reporters in July that the company plans to commercialize semaglutide both on its own and with partners.
