India’s weight-loss drug price war begins as key patent expires

Namita Joshi made a New Year’s resolution in January to tackle one of her long-standing problems: being overweight. A key part of her slimming journey is her weekly weight-loss injections.

While the 29-year-old interior designer has made changes to her diet and increased her workouts, she said the medication has helped her lose up to 6kg (13 pounds) in the past two months. With her weight at 85kg before her treatment and height at 1.65 metres (5.4 feet), Joshi was considered obese.

“My mental health has been terrible. This is the third time I’m seriously trying hard to lose weight. This time, I’m betting on the drugs, though I know a major chunk of my salary is going towards them,” said Joshi, who lives in Mumbai.

“To put it bluntly, my dating life has been horrible because of my weight. Whatever one says about not body-shaming anyone, the reality is starkly different … The only flipside is the nausea the injection causes. I only hope all this money and effort are worth it when I’m able to fit into my fancy old clothes.”

Joshi spends about 30,000 Indian rupees (US$322) monthly on her weight-loss medication, whose prices have fallen significantly in recent months and are set to drop further from this week.

“Thankfully, my parents don’t depend on me financially, nor do I have other commitments like a housing loan. Otherwise, this would never be possible for me,” Joshi said.