Quick Fix For Weight Loss Fuels Growth Of Anti-Obesity Drug Market

One in four adults in India is overweight today. And the ‘miracle’ anti-obesity drug, semaglutide (more popularly known by the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic) which Hollywood celebrities from Elon Musk to Oprah Winfrey have sworn by, is flying off the shelves in India. 

It isn’t that anti-obesity drugs were not sold in the country earlier. But semaglutide, sold in India as pills under the brand name Rybelsus, has captured the lion’s share of the market in just two years since its launch in January 2022. Semaglutide, patented by global healthcare company Novo Nordisk, now holds 66% of the share in India’s anti-obesity drugs market, Sheetal Sapale, vice-president of healthcare tech platform Pharmarack told The Core. 

The demand for semaglutide and its injectable version, Ozempic, which is not yet available in India, is unprecedented. A recent investigation by the Times of India revealed that affluent Indians are procuring the drug without prescriptions from the grey market. 

While the injectable can cost anywhere between Rs 19,500 to Rs 22,000 for a dose, Rybelsus costs about Rs 3,000 for a strip of 10 3mg tablets. One of the reasons for semaglutide’s popularity is the company’s marketing tactics, Sapale said. Plus, health consciousness has grown in the market after Covid-19, she added.   

How Does It Work? 

Semaglutide is a compound that specifically targets the brain's appetite-regulating centers, particularly post-meal, potentially resulting in reduced eating speed. It also slows down how quickly the stomach empties, which makes you feel fuller for longer. Users have reported dramatic weight loss. Semaglutide also controls blood sugar and is an antidiabetic medicine used to treat type-2 diabetes as well.  

It is not the only molecule either. For instance, there is orlistat, which reduces the dietary absorption of fats. Or dulaglutide, which is said to reduce hunger pangs. “So, all these products, which are available today, suppress some natural activity of the brain or the body,” Sapale said. She also said that these are not long-term solutions. 

“Weight loss is something which should be controlled through dietary intake or exercises,” she said. While anti-obesity drugs can help shed those initial stubborn kilos, they are a quick solution and should be followed by other lifestyle modifications. 

These drugs can also have other health implications, like affecting your intestine function or brain function, and should only be taken under a doctor’s supervision, Sapale added. The dosage also needs to be based on the user’s medical history, weight, age, and other factors.

Not The Only Player

Currently, the anti-obesity drug market is worth Rs 475 crore, of which semaglutide is worth Rs 314 crore. However, new entrants are ready to take on the market. Given the surge in demand for anti-obesity drugs, Indian pharmaceutical companies are speeding up development. 

For example, the molecule orlistat is not under any patent protection, and there are already 23 brands selling it. “Today it has close to 13% of the market share,” Sapale said. There is also dulaglutide, whose innovator American pharma company Eli Lilly partnered with Lupin to sell the drug in India. It is currently sold under the brand name Trulicity and is patent-protected. But it will be losing its patent this month. “So we may expect a lot of entrants or branded generics entering this market from this month,” Sapale pointed out. 

Will It Continue To Grow? 

Anti-obesity products make up a Rs 500 crore market today, whereas the Indian pharma market is Rs 1,93,000 crore. “So it's just a small portion of the market,” Sapale said. “But then this market is definitely bound to grow,” she said. 

For one, it is not just a particular class of patients facing obesity problems, it is across the board. Currently, given that semaglutide is under patent protection, it is expensive. But anticipating dulaglutide going off patent, branded generics will enter the market at more affordable prices, catering to a wider segment, Sapale pointed out.