India's drug regulators seized over 260 pens of the diabetes and weight-loss drug Mounjaro, suspecting them to be counterfeits made with raw materials sourced from Chinese e-commerce platfrom Alibaba.
Authorities in the North Indian state of Haryana caught hold of a vehicle carrying the alleged fake drugs on the outskirts of the national capital, Haryana Food and Drug Control Administration said in a ?statement. Two people were also arrested under suspicion of making and selling the drugs.
Mounjaro, approved for diabetes and weight-loss in India, was launched here in 2025 by US-based drugmaker Eli Lilly.
Obesity and weight loss drugs have found a booming market in India. Between branded products like Mounjaro, Danish drugmaker ?Novo Nordisk's WeGovy and several cheaper generic alternatives, the obesity drug market is expected to be valued at Rs 80 Billion (€730 million, $859.38 million) by 2030.
The primary accused did not have a pharmaceutical licence and ?made the products at a private property, Drug Control Officer Amandeep Chauhan told Reuters. He added that they sold the drugs at a discount to the original pens on an online marketplace.
Chauhan said the siezed pens were not stored under the required temperatures and showed difference in the label's Details, raising suspicion.
Samples have been sent to government-run laboratories for confirmation, he said.
