- By Chetna Shree
- Tue, 24 Jun 2025 04:11 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Danish pharma company, Novo Nordisk, launched its weight loss drug, ‘Wegovy’, in India as a once-a-week injection. Wegovy was launched on Tuesday, four months after the launch of Eli Lilly’s blockbuster weight-loss drug, Mounjaro. The drug is under distribution and will reach the pharmacies by the end of the month, said Vikrant Shrotriya, Novo Nordisk’s India managing director.
"Wegovy" will be launched in different doses, mainly 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, and 2.4 mg. The first doses of the drug will be priced at Rs 4,366, adding the total cost of the monthly drug to Rs 17,345.
What Is Wegovy And How Is It Different From Its Competitors?
Wegovy is a once-a-weekly GLP1 receptor agonist class, approved in India for the treatment of chronic weight management. Wegovy is a weight-loss drug for people who are overweight or obese with at least one weight-related health problem. The drug contains Semaglutide, which was previously used in Nova Nordisk’s diabetes drug, Ozempic. Semaglutide stimulates weight loss by copying the action of a natural hormone, GLP1, which sends signals to the brain that you are full and helps regulate portion size and blood sugar.
Originally set to launch in 2026, Novo Nordisk launched Wegovy earlier in 2025 due to intense competition from Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, which was launched in March 2025. Mounjaro garnered massive attention from the market with record sales of Rs 24 crore within three months of launch. The sales of the drug increased by three times, creating a wave of interest among doctors and patients.
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The brand name Mounjaro is a drug called Trirzepetide, whereas the brand Wegovy is a drug called Semaglutide. Though Mounjaro and Wegovy both belong to the GLP-1 receptor agonist class, Mounjaro has a dual mechanism (GLP-1 and GIP).
Mounjaro begins with a 2.5 mg once-a-week injectable dose, while Wegovy begins with a 0.25 mg dose. After four weeks, the doctors advise upgrading the Mounjaro dose to 5 mg per week, whereas the Wegovy dose is increased per week until it reaches the weekly dose of 1.7 mg or 2 mg.
Cost And Dosage Of The Weight Loss Drug ‘Wegovy’
Wegovy comes in five different doses: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg. Three doses, 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg are priced at Rs 17,345 per month, which totals the weekly cost to Rs 4,366. The 1.7 mg dosage of the drug costs Rs 24,280 per month, and the 2 mg dosage costs Rs 26,015 per month. The Indian pharma companies are expected to launch affordable versions of the drug, bringing the monthly cost to a cheaper rate.