Lilly launches Mounjaro pen in India at $160 for starting dose, stepping up Novo rivalry
Lilly said in June it received approval from India's drug regulator for its once-weekly Mounjaro Kwikpen, two days after Novo Nordisk launched Wegovy in multiple dose strengths in a similar pen device.
Mounjaro Kwikpen is available in six dose strengths — 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg and 15 mg — with pricing calculated for a month's supply.
The smallest two doses are priced at 14,000 and 17,500 rupees, respectively, and the 7.5 mg and 10 mg doses cost 22,000 rupees. The 12.5 mg and 15 mg doses cost 27,500 rupees, the company said.
"If we look at how the highest doses of Mounjaro and Wegovy are priced, it appears (that) Mounjaro's pricing is attractive and competitive," said Vishal Manchanda from Systematix Institutional Equities.
Wegovy's smallest doses of 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg cost 17,345 rupees a month, and its highest doses of 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg cost 24,280 rupees and 26,015 rupees a month, respectively.
Lilly began selling Mounjaro in India in late March for diabetes and obesity in 2.5 mg and 5 mg vials. Both drugs have seen strong demand since then, with sales in July doubling month-on-month.
The drugs belong to a class of therapies known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that help control blood sugar and slow digestion, making people feel fuller for longer.
($1 = 87.6650 Indian rupees)
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Mounjaro prices double as weight loss jab popularity soars
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More than 1.5 million people in the UK are believed to be using weight-loss medication each month, with most buying the jabs from private pharmacies. Mounjaro users report surprising side effect - pharmacists share their tips — Bucks Free Press (@bucksfreepress) August 8, 2025 This comes as the Government has joined forces with Eli Lilly in a bid to tackle obesity. The move could see patients accessing care at pharmacies or by using online platforms. The £85 million programme from Eli Lilly and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has been designed to look at how obese patients can access weight management care more easily. This includes through community services, in pharmacies and online. Using these tools, eligible patients could be treated 'in a matter of months', according to Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Under the agreement, the Government will contribute up to £50 million in UK-wide investment. Meanwhile, Eli Lilly will back the programme with £35 million, and NHS organisations will be able to apply for a share of the funding. Recommended reading: Mounjaro warning as pens ruined by heatwave temperatures This comes as users are risking having to throw away perfectly good Mounjaro pens as they have overheated in the recent heatwave. Improper storage of Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro during a heatwave could destroy the active ingredient in these jabs, potentially wiping out their effects entirely, even if the medication looks completely normal. 'We recommend treating your weight-loss pen the same way you'd treat insulin or any critical medication,' says Danielle Brightman, Clinical Director at Numan. 'When in doubt, don't risk it. Speak to a healthcare professional and arrange a replacement.' 8 tips to protect Mounjaro and other weight-loss injections during hot weather Use a medical-grade cool bag. Transport your pen in a proper, insulated container designed for sensitive medications. Don't use improvised ice packs that might freeze the pen by accident. Never leave your pen in hot places. Even 10 minutes in a parked car or on a sunny kitchen counter could expose it to damaging heat if out of its delivery packaging or unrefrigerated. Always check the environment before setting it down. Store below 30°C once in use. Once opened and if not refrigerated, keep your pen in a shaded, ventilated area, away from heat sources, windows, and radiators. If you live in a flat or home without air conditioning, keep the pen in a bedroom or hallway that doesn't heat up from direct sun. Avoid storing near exterior walls if the property retains heat. Follow the usage timeline carefully. The storage instructions between medications. 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As summer sweeps across India, one of the most common questions a leading Mumbai-based diabetologist hears from his patients is: "Can I eat mangoes?""Mangoes, with their rich sweetness and diverse varieties, are a staple of Indian summers, and it's understandable why people want to indulge," says Rahul this simple question, he says, comes loaded with misconceptions - ranging from the belief that mangoes should be strictly avoided, to the opposite extreme where some think eating mangoes in excess might "reverse diabetes". The reality lies somewhere in between, but the confusion doesn't end with the season. "In fact, many patients return for follow-up visits post-mango season, often with elevated glucose levels, and sometimes, the culprit may just be overindulgence in this beloved fruit," says Dr constant dilemma has left many people with diabetes wary of the "king of fruits". 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Yet amidst the challenges, new findings offer a surprising ray of hope - especially for mango lovers.A pilot study soon to appear in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition and involving 95 participants found that three popular Indian mango varities - Safeda, Dasheri and Langra - produced similar or lower glycemic responses than white bread over two hours of glucose testing. (A glycemic response is how quickly and how much a food raises blood sugar levels after eating.)Continuous glucose monitoring of people with and without type 2 diabetics over three days showed that, in participants with diabetes, post-meal sugar fluctuations were significantly smaller after eating a mango. This low fluctuation glycemic response could be beneficial to the body in the long run, researchers say."Mangoes are a much-loved fruit and maligned for its possible glucose and weight-elevating effects," said Dr Sugandha Kehar, first author of both studies."These studies show that within prescribed diets, consumption of mangoes are not detrimental to blood glucose and may even be beneficial,"A second, eight-week randomised trial published in the Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders - conducted at Delhi's Fortis C-DOC with Indian Council of Medical Research funding - has reinforced the findings. Thirty-five adults with type 2 diabetes who replaced their breakfast bread with 250g of mango saw improvements in fasting glucose, haemoglobin A1C test (HbA1c) which measures average blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, weight, waist circumference and HDL cholesterol. These markers are key indicators of diabetes control and overall metabolic health."We showed the benefits of small doses of mangoes in place of carbohydrates (bread) in breakfast in two detailed studies for the first time, laying to rest all speculations regarding adverse metabolic effects of its consumption," says Prof Anoop Misra, senior author and study lead."But the key is moderation and clinical supervision - this is not a licence for unlimited mango feasts." I asked Prof Misra what eating mangoes in moderation meant."If your daily limit is 1,600 calories, any calories from mango should be part of that total, not extra. A 250g mango - about one small fruit - has roughly 180 calories. As in the study, you'd replace an equivalent amount of carbs with mango to get the same results," he told Baxi says he tells his patients something similar."If glucose levels are under control, I do allow and even encourage my patients to enjoy mangoes in limited quantities - about half portion which gives 15g carbohydrates - once or twice a day."Dr Baxi tells his patients: portion control is key - mangoes should be eaten between meals, not as dessert. Pair them with protein or fibre, and avoid combining with other carbs or sugary forms, such as juices and its metabolic impact, the mango occupies a far larger place in Indian life - a fruit that opens doors both literally and figuratively, carrying cultural, social and even diplomatic significance."Mango diplomacy" is a familiar phrase across the subcontinent, where carefully chosen crates of the fruit can grease political deals, strengthen alliances or smooth over tense negotiations. Mango festivals pop up across Indian cities, celebrating the fruit's cultural and economic significance. The fruit is, at once, a favourite indulgence and a quietly powerful social currency. "Most Indians have a personal favourite mango and parochial regional loyalties have long fuelled heated ranking debates," says Pushpesh Pant, a Delhi-based historian and culinary expert."Good mangoes are not just to be eaten; they are adornments like jewellery. The rules of the mango push the best produce towards those willing to pay the highest price," writes Sopan Joshi in Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango, a magisterial account of the fruit and its are more than 1,000 varieties of mango grown in India. Joshi writes India's mangoes vary by region: northern and eastern varieties like Langra, Dasheri, Chausa and Himsagar are intensely sweet, while southern types offer a subtle sweet-sour flavour. The Alphonso of western India owes its signature taste to a unique balance of sugar and central is the fruit to Indian life that the calendar year itself often begins with the mango flowering. Poet Ghalib called the mango a "a sealed glass of honey", and hundreds of books have been written celebrating its indulgence, part icon, the mango continues to delight and inspire - now with a surprising nod from science.
