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Mounjaro Becomes India’s Top-Selling Drug Amid GLP-1 Shift
Mounjaro is a medicine used for diabetes and obesity treatment.
It belongs to a group of medicines called GLP-1 drugs.
In India, more patients are choosing GLP-1 injections instead of tablets.
Mounjaro became the country’s best-selling medicine during the year ending in August 2026.
Its sales were much higher than the year before.
Doctors say injections can help with weight, appetite and some body functions.
They also say once-a-week dosing can be convenient.
Earlier, many patients preferred the tablet Rybelsus.
The overall GLP-1 medicine market in India has grown very quickly since 2022.
Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro became India’s best-selling pharmaceutical brand, with ₹1,256 crore in sales for the 12 months ending August 2026.
Mounjaro sales rose 502% year over year, although units sold in August fell 43.8% from July.
Injectable GLP-1 medicines are gaining ground as demand for oral semaglutide, sold as Rybelsus, declines.
Tirzepatide, the molecule in Mounjaro, represented 62% of India’s ₹2,333-crore GLP-1 market by value.
Doctors cited weight reduction, appetite control, metabolic benefits and convenient weekly dosing as reasons for the shift toward injections.
- Who
- Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, Indian patients using GLP-1 medicines, and endocrinology doctors quoted in the report.
- What
- Mounjaro became India’s top-selling pharmaceutical brand as demand shifted toward injectable GLP-1 medicines.
- Where
- India, with sales and medical commentary reported from locations including New Delhi and Gurugram.
- When
- According to data for the 12 months ending August 2026; the report was published on September 7, 2026.
- Why
- Doctors attributed the shift to injections’ established use in diabetes and obesity treatment, weekly dosing, weight and appetite benefits, and broader treatment options.
Injectable GLP-1 Preference
Oral GLP-1 Preference
Treatment convenience and use
Injectable GLP-1 Preference
Doctors said injections offer established roles in both diabetes and obesity treatment, weekly dosing, and potentially easier tolerability for some patients.
Oral GLP-1 Preference
Rybelsus, an oral semaglutide medicine launched in 2022, initially appealed to patients as an alternative to injections, although its demand has since declined.
Treatment benefits
Injectable GLP-1 Preference
Injectable GLP-1 treatments were described as helping reduce body weight, control appetite and improve several metabolic measures when used appropriately.
Oral GLP-1 Preference
The article says oral GLP-1 options currently have a more limited role, primarily in diabetes, rather than presenting comparable obesity-treatment use.
Key facts
- Mounjaro sales
- ₹1,256 crore in the 12 months ending August 2026
- Year-over-year sales growth
- 502% for Mounjaro
- Overall GLP-1 market
- ₹2,333 crore, compared with ₹153 crore in August 2022
- Tirzepatide market share
- 62% of India’s GLP-1 market by value
- Semaglutide market share
- 34% of India’s GLP-1 market by value
- Mounjaro launch
- Launched in India in 2025
- Market ranking
- Mounjaro led Augmentin at ₹957 crore and Glycomet GP at ₹950 crore
Quotes
Dr Saptarshi Bhattacharya
Senior Consultant-Endocrinology at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi
“Weekly dosing is also convenient, and many patients find them easier to tolerate than oral medicines, which can come with more restrictions around how they need to be taken.”
thehindubusinessline.com
Sources
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