IIM Ahmedabad, Novo Nordisk India sign MoU to address obesity and strengthen healthcare systems
Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, the blockbuster weight loss drug, debuts in India
Under the agreement, the two institutions will co-develop programmes across three key areas — health system capacity building, policy advocacy, and health economics. The collaboration will involve the development of model frameworks for obesity clinics, creation of educational content for healthcare professionals and stakeholders, and formulation of data-backed public health policies.
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Additionally, the initiative will include research projects that study the economic impact of obesity on individual health, workforce productivity, and the broader healthcare system and economy.
The partnership outlines plans for joint research activities, including publication of papers in collaboration with government bodies, conducting pilot outreach programmes, and evaluating the role of telemedicine in managing NCDs in underserved areas. These initiatives aim to generate actionable insights to support both policy-level changes and improvements in healthcare delivery.
In its statement, the institute said that the IIMA Endowment Fund (IIMAEF), which facilitates partnerships and philanthropic engagement, played a key role in shaping this collaboration. The fund supports initiatives that align with the institute's objective of using academic and research capabilities to address societal challenges, including public health.
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By integrating educational, corporate, and research resources, the partnership aims to contribute towards developing scalable healthcare models for NCD management, with obesity as a central focus. The effort is intended to support long-term improvements in health outcomes and policy-making in India.
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The Print
15 hours ago
- The Print
Mounjaro, Wegovy signal ashift in obesity care model in India which sees 20k bariatric surgeries a year
Mounjaro, manufactured by US-based Eli Lilly & Company and which has tirzepatide as its active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), was launched in India 20 March. Wegovy, a weight loss drug by Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk which has semaglutide as its API, hit the Indian markets 25 June. But the development has another fallout that has become a talking point among physicians treating and managing obesity—a possible reduction in the number of bariatric surgeries or weight loss surgery, a series of procedures intended to reshape or alter the anatomy of the stomach to reduce weight. New Delhi: The back-to-back arrival of two high-profile weight loss drugs in India, Mounjaro and Wegovy, over the past four months has fuelled an intense competition in the country's burgeoning anti-obesity market as one megaseller tries to outshine the other. The prescription-only drugs mimic the effects of the natural gut hormones that work by lowering caloric intake, primarily by influencing appetite control mechanisms, and can result in weight of up to 15-20 percent. Many clinicians say this will lead to fewer people opting for bariatric surgeries, which, depending on the extent and type of the surgery, result in a moderate 15 percent to a high of over 50 percent weight loss. 'As Wegovy and Mounjaro are now available for patients struggling with obesity, I see fewer patients opting for bariatric surgeries, especially the simpler procedures which are also more common, as they offer nearly comparable weight loss results,' Dr Naval K. Vikram, a professor of medicine and obesity researcher at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, told ThePrint. His colleague, a bariatric surgeon at the premium institute who did not want to be named, also said the number of adjustable gastric banding and gastric sleeve surgeries, which are less complex but also result in moderate weight loss, could particularly take a hit. As per statistics shared by the Obesity and Metabolic Surgery of India (OSSI), India has over the past five to seven years consistently performed around 20,000 bariatric surgeries a year. 'While patient hesitation was common in the early years, growing awareness about the broader health benefits of bariatric surgery, along with the introduction of advanced technologies such as robotic-assisted surgery, has encouraged more individuals to consider it,' said Dr Sukhvinder Singh Saggu, the national convener of the OSSI national registry. A last year study examining a large sample of patients with obesity in the US found that the usage of anti-obesity drugs doubled from 2022 to 2023 in the country, and there was a sharp decline (25.6 percent) in the number of patients undergoing metabolic bariatric surgery to treat obesity. Most physicians see the trend getting repeated in India in the coming months. India's anti-obesity drug market is currently valued at Rs 3,000-3,500 crore, and is projected to grow nearly eightfold to Rs 25,000 crore by 2030 as per the market estimates. Also Read: Oil is making India obese and import-hungry. Modi wants to change that Someone's gain, someone's loss Chennai-based diabetologist Dr V. Mohan, an obesity researcher and the chairman of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), said the advent of new age weight loss drugs marks a paradigm shift in obesity management, similar to what the arrival of drug classes such as proton pump inhibitors (that reduce stomach acid production) meant for the fate of peptic ulcer surgeries. 'At one point, procedures such as gastrojejunostomy for patients of peptic ulcers were very common but these procedures are barely needed now. I see a similar shift in the bariatric surgery landscape and these procedures would increasingly be reserved for people with very high body mass index (BMI),' Mohan said. Bariatric surgery is generally considered for individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or for those with a BMI of 35 or higher and serious obesity-related health problems. These health problems can include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or severe sleep apnea. In some cases, surgery may also be an option for individuals with a BMI between 30 and 34 who have poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. But in Indians, where in several people BMI of even nearly 30 can cause a problem due to fat deposition near vital organs, surgery is sometimes indicated. A 2023 survey by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) had shown that 25.4 crore Indians had generalised obesity. A large number of people have body weight exceeding BMI of over 35 and body weight of even 100 kg and above, say doctors. In such patients, the surgery works by altering the digestive system to reduce food intake and/or absorption, leading to weight loss and improvement of obesity-related health issues. In comparison, Mounjaro and Wegovy primarily influence appetite control mechanisms. In May this year, Lilly said in a statement that a head-to-head clinical trial comparing tirzepatide and semaglutide in their maximum tolerable dosages showed the former to be significantly more effective in reducing both weight and waist circumference after 72 weeks of treatment. According to the U.S. based pharma giant, the participants administered tirzepatide saw an average weight reduction of 20.2 percent, while those on semaglutide experienced a 13.7 percent loss—indicating a 47 percent greater relative weight loss for the former, based on the treatment-regimen estimand at 72 weeks. But some doctors said while tirzepatide is better than semaglutide in percentage of weight loss, there is stronger evidence in case of semaglutide for reducing cardiovascular conditions in obese people without diabetes and also for treating kidney and diabetes. Dr Naval K. Vikram, the AIIMS professor quoted above said, for people who opted for simpler bariatric surgeries, which also meant lesser complications but relatively lower weight loss result, these drugs will be a likelier choice. 'Their cost,' he said, 'however could be a dampener as they are expensive and will need recurring expenses.' The monthly cost of the first three dosing strengths of Wegovy, which are typically the starting dosages, has been kept at Rs 17,345, the last two dose strengths or the maintenance dose cost Rs 24,280 and Rs 26,050 respectively. The starting dose of Maunjaro, on the other hand, costs Rs 14,000 per month while the higher dose costs Rs 17,500 per month. But Mohan countered that surgeries do not come cheap either and generally cost Rs 2 lakh to even more than Rs 6 lakh. 'Plus, these procedures are complicated, cause permanent changes in the stomach structure and sometimes patients tend to regain weight later on for which they need therapeutic intervention,' he said. Step up for obesity management On their part, metabolic and obesity surgeons maintained that these surgeries are no longer seen merely as a weight-loss procedure but widely recognised as a powerful therapeutic tool for managing a range of obesity-related conditions, including type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, infertility, and sleep apnea. The integration of robotic systems has further enhanced outcomes by offering greater precision, faster recovery, and improved patient comfort, Dr Sukhvinder Singh Saggu said. Surgeons also insisted that the approach to obesity treatment in India is also evolving into a multimodal strategy, similar to cancer care where surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy work in tandem. 'Given that obesity is a complex, chronic, and multifactorial condition, the treatment now combines weight loss drugs, lifestyle management, exercise, and bariatric surgery, tailored to the patient's BMI and health profile,' Saggu said. 'So we do not see these (anti-obesity medications) as a challenge to bariatric surgery. Instead, these drugs complement surgical options, broadening the spectrum of treatments available,' he also said. Both approaches have their limitations, but together they form part of a comprehensive obesity management pathway designed to deliver sustained health benefits, the OSSI member further said. Dr Parimuthukumar, a senior consultant in minimally invasive gastrointestinal and bariatric surgery at Prashanth Hospitals in Chennai, pointed out that patients are assessed based on their BMI, which categorises them as overweight, obese (Class 1, 2, 3), or even super obese. 'Bariatric surgery is never the first line of treatment. When a patient comes in, we always begin by recommending dietary changes and lifestyle modifications,' he said. Not all patients, however, are able to follow through successfully and in such cases, surgeons may consider weight-loss medications, depending on the patient's suitability. 'Only when both non-invasive options do not yield the desired results, and if the patient meets clinical criteria, do we proceed with bariatric surgery,' Parimuthukumar said, adding that it's a gradual, stepwise approach. 'Whichever method is used — diet, drugs, or surgery — weight loss happens over time, not overnight. But ultimately, reaching a healthier weight improves patients' physical mobility and often reduces their dependence on medication,' he said. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: Obesity care in India is evolving—no longer just diets & surgery, it's all about multi-specialty approach
Mint
a day ago
- Mint
Cipla sees weight-loss drugs as the biggest opportunity in the Indian market
Drugmaker Cipla Ltd anticipates GLP-1 drugs, used for treating type-2 diabetes and obesity, to be a definite new therapy in the Indian market, and is exploring a wider foray, said chief executive Umang Vohra. 'The Indian market is particularly important to us, where we're looking at the whole GLP-1 category and not just Semaglutide alone,' Vohra told reporters in a media interaction on Friday after the company declared its June-quarter results. Semaglutide, a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) drug sold under the brand name Wegovy in India by Novo Nordisk, goes off patent in March 2026. 'Our overall thinking is this is going to be pretty definitive in terms of a new therapy, in terms of a new section of the market and an opportunity that will be probably the biggest that we've seen in the last five years,' said Vohra. 'We're trying to evolve a strategy on what would make the most economic sense for us in this category.' The company also plans to launch Semaglutide in other markets where it goes off patent, although Vohra declined to name specific markets. Cipla will file to commercialize the product with partners as well as on its own, in what Vohra called a 'combination strategy'. 'We're going to be perhaps making two filings in some of the markets that are of importance across the world,' he said. The patent for Semaglutide is expiring in countries such as India, Canada, and Brazil in 2026. Cipla's first-quarter profit after tax (PAT) beat estimates, while its revenue was a miss. The company reported a PAT of ₹ 1,298 crore, up 10% year-on-year, against ₹ 1,198.5 crore, estimated by a Bloomberg poll of 22 brokerages. At ₹ 6,957 crore, its consolidated revenue increased 4% on-year but missed Bloomberg estimates of ₹ 7,057 crore. The company reported an Ebitda of ₹ 1,778 crore, up 4% on-year, with its Ebitda margin remaining steady on-year at 25.6%. Ebitda stands for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. 'Underlying this performance has been the numbers from the One India business, which grew overall at 6% and within that, we've seen a higher growth from our [trade] generics and consumer healthcare business,' said Vohra, adding that branded prescription growth was lower on account of a muted season for acute therapies. The company reported $226 million in revenue from its North America business during the quarter, a drop of 9.6% from the previous year's revenue of $250 million. The North American business accounts for 28% of Cipla's revenues. 'This is in the range that we had guided at the beginning of this quarter…We've had two new launches, and our launch momentum hopes to continue as the rest of the year pans out,' Vohra said. While uncertainty over tariffs and regulatory shifts in the US continues, Vohra said Cipla's business is already significantly derisked. 'Fortunately or unfortunately, because of our facility issues that we've had in the last three years, due to citations at our sites, we had already started de-risking our business. And we built new facilities in the US,' he said. Vohra said while the firm expects some impact from US policy changes, it won't be a debilitating effect that will 'derail the way we've thought about our business'. Cipla also faces price erosion on blood cancer drug Revlimid and Lanreotide, used to treat neuroendocrine tumours, in the US this year. However, Vohra believes that the company has a product pipeline that will continue to drive growth over the next three to five years. Cipla's share price closed at ₹ 1,535.00 on Friday on National Stock Exchange, up 3.17%.
News18
3 days ago
- News18
Put Up Oil & Sugar Boards At Ayushman Bharat Clinics, Medical Colleges, Centre Tells States
The Union government has asked states and UTs to instruct states to 'sensitise school teachers and children on healthy diet and reduced sugar/oil intake' In a fresh move aimed at tackling the surge in obesity and lifestyle-related disorders, the Union health ministry has instructed all states and Union Territories to ensure the prominent display of oil and sugar boards across a broad spectrum of public health institutions—including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, primary and community health centres (PHCs and CHCs), district hospitals, sub-divisional facilities, and medical colleges. The concept of these boards has been part of previous health messaging, including in all ministries and government departments' canteens. 'There is an urgent national need to combat obesity and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) through healthier habits and reduction in oil and sugar consumption," wrote Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director (NHM), in the letter dated June 27 as seen by News18. Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on promoting healthy lifestyles in his address at the 38th National Games and Mann Ki Baat, the letter said India is 'experiencing a rapid rise in obesity and associated lifestyle disorders, particularly in urban areas and among children". Beyond signage, the Centre has also asked states to take a multi-pronged approach. Officials have been directed to 'leverage" ongoing campaigns and outreach to promote awareness around healthy dietary practices and to include oil/sugar reduction messages in counselling sessions by peer educators and health workers at adolescent-friendly health clinics. The letter further instructs states to 'sensitise school teachers and children on healthy diet and reduced sugar/oil intake" during RBSK (Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram) screening and to activate community platforms to spread the message. 'Leverage community engagement platforms under NHMs such as Mahila Arogya Samitis (MAS) and Jan Arogya Samitis (AS) to amplify the message at the community level through meetings, health promotion events, and home visits." The letter instructs officials to use village health sanitation and nutrition days (VHSNDs) and other platforms to conduct discussions and demonstrations on healthy cooking and dietary habits. Patnaik has asked officials to encourage convergence with education, women and child development, and local bodies 'to extend the initiative to schools, anganwadi centres, and community platforms". She also aims to sensitise and update the health and wellness ambassadors on this subject to ensure coverage of the same during classroom sessions. 'This initiative is part of our collective effort to reinforce the principles of preventive health and to realise the vision of a 'Swasth Bharat'," the letter states, urging senior health officials across states to ensure swift implementation. By embedding dietary nudges directly into the infrastructure of the public health and education systems, the ministry aims to create visible, constant reminders of healthy choices—especially for the country's younger population. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
