US-based pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is planning to launch Mounjaro, an anti-diabetes and weight loss drug in India by 2025 after regulatory approvals, reported News18 citing officials from the company.
Eli Lilly sells Tirzepetide under the name of Mounjaro, a prescription-based medication that has to be injected once a week. It helps to manage obesity and diabetes, which is a serious disease and not only a cosmetic issue, according to the company.
The company has not finalised the price of the drug.
We haven’t yet finalised the pricing strategy for the Tirzapedite, but our pricing will reflect the medicine’s efficacy and the fact that it improves overall health and reduces the economic burden attached to diabetes and obesity," Rachel Batterham, senior vice president of international medical affairs at Eli Lilly told News18.
While speaking about the safety and efficiency of the drug, Batterham said, “Tirzepetide (Mounjaro) is already been given to millions of people globally. It has shown a lot of impact on improving health and obesity-related complications," and takes safety “very seriously and in all our clinical trials we are looking at safety."
Several reports have raised concerns over the use of Mounjaro.
According to a Healthline report, consumption of Mounjaro may have several consequences, such as vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, indigestion, abdominal pain and other rare side effects, include risk of thyroid cancer, acute pancreatitis, hypoglycemia, acute gallbladder disease, and allergic reaction.
Tirzepatide should not be consumed by pregnant women and people with rare conditions.
“Some people shouldn’t have to take tirzepatide, for example, people with rare conditions such as pregnant women woman or women who are trying to get pregnant or certain types of carcinoma, but in the vast majority of people, tirzepatide is safe," Batterham said.
She also highlighted how people do not take obesity as a serious disease, and this casual approach must be changed.
“We know that obesity leads to lots of other health complications, and it also reduces life expectancy. So we need to reframe obesity, this is not a cosmetic thing but this is a disease that leads to early death. Also, people with obesity don’t get the same sort of treatment as other chronic diseases," she said.
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns over obesity and shared several tips on exercise and food. He called for regular physical activity and a balanced nutritious diet to address growing obesity and related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
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