Latest news with #NeerajTulara
Economic Times
07-05-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
Mounjaro is now a heavyweight in weight-loss fight
Consumption of Mounjaro, Eli Lilly's blockbuster weight-loss drug, more than tripled within a month of its launch in India, according to data from industry tracker and market researcher PharmaTrac. ADVERTISEMENT According to the data, sales of Mounjaro 2.5 mg injections surged to '4.8 crore in April from '1.42 crore in March, when the drug was launched in the country. Doctors, however, are of the view that while popular weight-loss medications such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, which Novo Nordisk is expected to bring to India, may be a boon in a country of more than 80 million obese people, their efficacy remains to be seen for the initial four-six months in terms of actual weight-loss benefits to Indians, possible weight regain once stopped and whether there are any side effects. "These medications have become very popular in the west and there is a lot of hype around them, so many people in India have been waiting to try this out," said Dr Neeraj Tulara, general medicines and infectious diseases specialist at LH Hiranandani Hospital at Powai, Mumbai. "Globally, there are many people who have lost a good amount of weight and there are significant numbers who have also stopped using. So, it will take about six months to tell if there is significant benefit on Indian patients or once it is stopped there is weight regain." Besides, he said, "We have to see how patients tolerate the medication because the Indian profile is different compared to western patients." Dr Anurag Lila, visiting consultant endocrinologist at Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital, Mumbai, said, "Obesity is like a pandemic in India and diabetes is very common and it is one of the useful drugs. It has been well marketed abroad before it has come to India. Thousands of prescriptions have been there and clinical trials are also done. It is a good and useful molecule, so people were waiting in India for a long time and people are using it."According to a recent study published in Lancet, 70% of India's urban population is classified as 'obese', or overweight. ADVERTISEMENT Aasim Maldar, consultant-endocrinologist and diabetologist at Mumbai's PD Hinduja Hospital, said, "Tolerability level as of now to the drug is good but it will take at least four-six months to tell how beneficial it is and what is the extent of side effect on patients. The side effect profile, tolerance profile and also the affordability factor are things that have to be taken into consideration." In India, Mounjaro is priced at '3,500 for a 2.5 mg vial and '4,375 for a 5 mg vial, which works out at '14,000-17,500 per month depending on the weekly dose. Doctors usually recommend a dose escalation to 5 mg after one month of starting the medication, depending on side effects. ADVERTISEMENT Sheetal Sapale, vice president, commercial, PharmaTrac, said the initial tripling of sales may be an indicator of adherence to the once-a-week dosage schedule. "A few more months of tracking of these products will give a clear idea about the increasing acceptance of the product among the eligible Indian population," she said. ADVERTISEMENT Studies on the effect of the drug in India -done in a few hospitals-so far suggest that the most common side effect is constipation, said doctors. Other common side effects may include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Currently, doctors are mostly prescribing Mounjaro to patients who are obese and have tried other means but not lost weight. ADVERTISEMENT Many have spoken about the affordability of the drug in the price sensitive Indian market, where a six month treatment could cost about '1 lakh. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Mounjaro is now a heavyweight in weight-loss fight
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Consumption of Mounjaro, Eli Lilly's blockbuster weight-loss drug, more than tripled within a month of its launch in India, according to data from industry tracker and market researcher to the data, sales of Mounjaro 2.5 mg injections surged to '4.8 crore in April from '1.42 crore in March, when the drug was launched in the however, are of the view that while popular weight-loss medications such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, which Novo Nordisk is expected to bring to India, may be a boon in a country of more than 80 million obese people, their efficacy remains to be seen for the initial four-six months in terms of actual weight-loss benefits to Indians, possible weight regain once stopped and whether there are any side effects."These medications have become very popular in the west and there is a lot of hype around them, so many people in India have been waiting to try this out," said Dr Neeraj Tulara, general medicines and infectious diseases specialist at LH Hiranandani Hospital at Powai, Mumbai. "Globally, there are many people who have lost a good amount of weight and there are significant numbers who have also stopped using. So, it will take about six months to tell if there is significant benefit on Indian patients or once it is stopped there is weight regain." Besides, he said, "We have to see how patients tolerate the medication because the Indian profile is different compared to western patients."Dr Anurag Lila, visiting consultant endocrinologist at Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital, Mumbai, said, "Obesity is like a pandemic in India and diabetes is very common and it is one of the useful drugs. It has been well marketed abroad before it has come to India. Thousands of prescriptions have been there and clinical trials are also done. It is a good and useful molecule, so people were waiting in India for a long time and people are using it."According to a recent study published in Lancet, 70% of India's urban population is classified as 'obese', or Maldar, consultant-endocrinologist and diabetologist at Mumbai's PD Hinduja Hospital, said, "Tolerability level as of now to the drug is good but it will take at least four-six months to tell how beneficial it is and what is the extent of side effect on patients. The side effect profile, tolerance profile and also the affordability factor are things that have to be taken into consideration."In India, Mounjaro is priced at '3,500 for a 2.5 mg vial and '4,375 for a 5 mg vial, which works out at '14,000-17,500 per month depending on the weekly dose. Doctors usually recommend a dose escalation to 5 mg after one month of starting the medication, depending on side Sapale, vice president, commercial, PharmaTrac, said the initial tripling of sales may be an indicator of adherence to the once-a-week dosage schedule."A few more months of tracking of these products will give a clear idea about the increasing acceptance of the product among the eligible Indian population," she on the effect of the drug in India -done in a few hospitals-so far suggest that the most common side effect is constipation, said common side effects may include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Currently, doctors are mostly prescribing Mounjaro to patients who are obese and have tried other means but not lost have spoken about the affordability of the drug in the price sensitive Indian market, where a six month treatment could cost about '1 lakh.
Economic Times
03-05-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
With weight-loss drugs, going under the knife may lose edge
Mumbai: Inroads of blockbuster weight-loss medications such as Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Wegovy that Novo Nordisk is expected to bring to India may result in a decline in the number of people opting for bariatric surgery to manage obesity, healthcare experts said. ADVERTISEMENT The global fad and curiosity surrounding the semaglutide weight-loss drug, like Wegovy and Mounjaro, may prompt many Indians in the obese zone to try out medication as the first option to shed excess weight, they said. In a country of 80 million obese people, many may find the new drugs a boon. According to a recent study published in The Lancet, 70% of India's urban population is classified as obese, or overweight. Rising obesity has led to an increase in weight-loss, or bariatric, surgeries. The number of this invasive procedure more than tripled in 10 years to around 75,000 in 2024, according to estimates by GlobalData. While the data analytics platform predicts the number to more than double in the next five years, doctors are of the view that medications give one more option to shed weight to those who are obese and have a body mass index (BMI) of 30-35. Those with a BMI above 35 and morbidly obese may still need surgery. ADVERTISEMENT "The grey zone where people have a 30-35 or 25-30 BMI and don't want to do any diet, those people may not want to go for surgery and they may opt for it (medication)" in case they are able to tolerate side effects, said Neeraj Tulara, general medicines and infectious diseases specialist at LH Hiranandani Hospital at Powai, GLP1 - drugs like semaglutide mimic this hormone that helps regulate appetite - will not replace bariatric surgery, their numbers may come down because people in the 'grey zone' of BMI may go for the medicines first, Tulara said. ADVERTISEMENT Doctors say drugs will help reduce body weight by only 15-20%, compared with as much as 70-80% by surgeries. But still people who are reluctant to go for surgery will first prefer to try out medication, said Aasim Maldar, consultant - endocrinologist and diabetologist at Mumbai's PD Hinduja cited the case of a patient with a BMI of 59, who should ideally go for surgery. "But those people were reluctant to go for surgery. For such people at least there will be some relief with these medications," said Maldar ADVERTISEMENT "Surgery also has its side effects and there could be a weight gain in 3-4 years," said Nitin Kumar Sinha, consultant physician at Mumbai-based WeCare Wellness, adding: "Increasing awareness about GLP1 drugs will prompt many in favour of the drug before they go under the knife." The number of bariatric surgery procedures performed in India is projected to reach more than 86,000 in 2025 and over 170,000 by 2030, according to Rohit Anand, director - research & analysis, Medical Devices, at GlobalData. According to a US study cited in The Harvard Gazette, demand for bariatric surgery declined by nearly 26% during 2022-2023 in the US, coinciding with doubling of demand for weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. The study, by Brigham and Women's Hospital in collaboration with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brown School of Public Health, was conducted on patients with a diagnosis of obesity without diabetes. However, doctors said bariatric surgery is still the most effective means to lose weight for those morbidly obese. It can lead to a weight loss of 70-80% over a year to a year-and-a-half. "Medical treatment and surgical treatment will work hand in hand because none of them cover 100% of the spectrum. But yes, drugs have a strong potential to control the disease and may cause the number of complications to come down drastically," said Jayashree S Todkar, a visiting bariatric surgeon at Powai's LH Hiranandani Hospital. However, she said drugs may only complement surgical treatment. ADVERTISEMENT Doctors also said in terms of cost, weight loss drugs do not come cheap. Also, it is not still clear whether or not there could be weight gain once the drug is stopped. The cost of bariatric surgery is ₹ 3-5 lakh in Metro cities like Mumbai, and ₹2-3 lakh in smaller cities, while a six-month Mounjaro treatment will cost nearly Rs 1 lakh, with one injection weekly that costs about ₹3,500. In the long-term, bariatric surgery is cheaper, costing only a tenth compared with drugs where the patient will gain weight if the person stops taking the drug, said Dr Sumeet Shah, secretary of the Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society of India.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
With weight-loss drugs, going under the knife may lose edge
Mumbai: Inroads of blockbuster weight-loss medications such as Eli Lilly 's Mounjaro and Wegovy that Novo Nordisk is expected to bring to India may result in a decline in the number of people opting for bariatric surgery to manage obesity, healthcare experts said. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack Pakistan reopens Attari-Wagah border to allow stranded citizens in India to return Key Jammu & Kashmir reservoirs' flushing to begin soon Air India sees Pakistan airspace ban costing it $600 mn over 12 months The global fad and curiosity surrounding the semaglutide weight-loss drug, like Wegovy and Mounjaro, may prompt many Indians in the obese zone to try out medication as the first option to shed excess weight, they said. In a country of 80 million obese people, many may find the new drugs a boon. According to a recent study published in The Lancet, 70% of India's urban population is classified as obese, or overweight. Rising obesity has led to an increase in weight-loss, or bariatric, surgeries. The number of this invasive procedure more than tripled in 10 years to around 75,000 in 2024, according to estimates by GlobalData. While the data analytics platform predicts the number to more than double in the next five years, doctors are of the view that medications give one more option to shed weight to those who are obese and have a body mass index (BMI) of 30-35. The Grey Zone Those with a BMI above 35 and morbidly obese may still need surgery. "The grey zone where people have a 30-35 or 25-30 BMI and don't want to do any diet, those people may not want to go for surgery and they may opt for it (medication)" in case they are able to tolerate side effects, said Neeraj Tulara, general medicines and infectious diseases specialist at LH Hiranandani Hospital at Powai, Mumbai. While GLP1 - drugs like semaglutide mimic this hormone that helps regulate appetite - will not replace bariatric surgery, their numbers may come down because people in the 'grey zone' of BMI may go for the medicines first, Tulara said. Doctors say drugs will help reduce body weight by only 15-20%, compared with as much as 70-80% by surgeries. But still people who are reluctant to go for surgery will first prefer to try out medication, said Aasim Maldar, consultant - endocrinologist and diabetologist at Mumbai's PD Hinduja Hospital. He cited the case of a patient with a BMI of 59, who should ideally go for surgery. "But those people were reluctant to go for surgery. For such people at least there will be some relief with these medications," said Maldar "Surgery also has its side effects and there could be a weight gain in 3-4 years," said Nitin Kumar Sinha, consultant physician at Mumbai-based WeCare Wellness, adding: "Increasing awareness about GLP1 drugs will prompt many in favour of the drug before they go under the knife." COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS The number of bariatric surgery procedures performed in India is projected to reach more than 86,000 in 2025 and over 170,000 by 2030, according to Rohit Anand, director - research & analysis, Medical Devices, at GlobalData. According to a US study cited in The Harvard Gazette, demand for bariatric surgery declined by nearly 26% during 2022-2023 in the US, coinciding with doubling of demand for weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. The study, by Brigham and Women's Hospital in collaboration with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brown School of Public Health, was conducted on patients with a diagnosis of obesity without diabetes. However, doctors said bariatric surgery is still the most effective means to lose weight for those morbidly obese. It can lead to a weight loss of 70-80% over a year to a year-and-a-half. "Medical treatment and surgical treatment will work hand in hand because none of them cover 100% of the spectrum. But yes, drugs have a strong potential to control the disease and may cause the number of complications to come down drastically," said Jayashree S Todkar, a visiting bariatric surgeon at Powai's LH Hiranandani Hospital. However, she said drugs may only complement surgical treatment. COST FACTORS Doctors also said in terms of cost, weight loss drugs do not come cheap. Also, it is not still clear whether or not there could be weight gain once the drug is stopped. The cost of bariatric surgery is ₹ 3-5 lakh in Metro cities like Mumbai, and ₹2-3 lakh in smaller cities, while a six-month Mounjaro treatment will cost nearly Rs 1 lakh, with one injection weekly that costs about ₹3,500. In the long-term, bariatric surgery is cheaper, costing only a tenth compared with drugs where the patient will gain weight if the person stops taking the drug, said Dr Sumeet Shah, secretary of the Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society of India.
