India’s battle against type-2 diabetes and obesity takes costly turn

Days after PM Narendra Modi spoke on the alarming rise in obesity and advocated reduced consumption of edible oil, US pharma major Eli Lilly was cleared by Indian regulators to launch its weight-loss injections in India.

While the PM cited a Lancet study and warned that around 44 crore Indians could be obese by 2050, India currently has about 101 million people living with diabetes.

Obesity, a chronic relapsing disease and a major risk factor for diabetes, is linked to over 200 health complications, including hypertension, dyslipidaemia, coronary heart disease, and obstructive sleep apnoea. As of 2023, the adult obesity prevalence in India was estimated to be around 6.5 per cent of the population affecting nearly 100 million people.

Global pharmaceutical companies are seizing the opportunity to cash in on the obesity crisis. Big names like Eli Lilly and Danish pharma company Novo Nordisk have now launched weight-loss drugs in India. Their high prices will cost a patient upwards of Rs 1.5 lakh a year, putting them well beyond the reach of most Indians.

What is more, Eli Lilly has introduced the drug at a special price in India which at the minimum dose would cost a patient Rs 14,500 every month. The same injection in the United States is sold by the company at prices ranging between Rs 86,000 and Rs 1 lakh a month.

The looming threat of US tariffs on Indian generic drugs, set to take effect next month, could also disrupt the supply of affordable Indian-made medicines to the American market.

As it stands, nearly half of all generic medicines consumed in the US originate from India, including life-saving treatments for hypertension and mental health disorders. Ironically, just as India is bracing for a surge in obesity-related health problems, the US is moving to restrict access to Indian-made generics that are crucial for treating obesity-related conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

The new weight-loss injections from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have sparked a heated debate. While some have hailed these treatments as game-changers for those battling obesity, others question the ethics of cashing in on a public health issue.

Critics argue that this commercialisation of obesity treatment could widen health disparities. The debate underscores the contrast between public health advocacy and pharmaceutical giants' profit-driven strategies.

While Eli Lilly has secured the first-mover advantage in India, besides competition with Novo Nordisk, which has also been cleared by Indian regulators to introduce its own weight-loss drug, Eli Lilly is also likely to face challenges from Indian pharmaceutical companies like Sun Pharma, Cipla, Dr. Reddy's, and Lupin, which are racing to produce generic versions of weight-loss medications.

Public health experts wonder if the surge of expensive weight-loss drugs offer real solutions to India’s obesity crisis, or just serve as a lucrative opportunity for Big Pharma while the public health burden continues to grow?