Real‑world shots: 4 in 10 lose 10%
Reporting from India shows that 4 in 10 patients using new‑generation weight‑loss injections lost about 10% of their body weight in routine clinical settings. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
A Delhi hospital’s real-world study found that more than 4 in 10 Indian patients on new weight-loss injections lost at least 10% of their body weight. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Doctors at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, tracked 150 adults with overweight or obesity in routine clinical practice, and the findings were published in the *Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism*. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com, doaj.org) Patients lost about 8% of body weight on average in six months, or roughly 6 to 10 kilograms, and nearly three-fourths lost at least 5%, a threshold doctors link to metabolic benefits. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) These drugs copy gut hormones that help control hunger and blood sugar, so patients feel full sooner and eat less. Semaglutide acts on glucagon-like peptide-1, while tirzepatide targets both glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide pathways. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com, link.springer.com) The Delhi data showed uneven results. Patients without diabetes lost nearly twice as much weight as those with diabetes, and patients on tirzepatide lost weight faster than those on semaglutide. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) The study followed patients for about six months, and Dr. Ambrish Mithal said many reached the 10% mark after 9 to 10 months rather than in the first few weeks. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) India’s market for these shots changed quickly in 2025. Eli Lilly launched Mounjaro, the tirzepatide brand, in March 2025, and Novo Nordisk launched Wegovy, the semaglutide 2.4 milligram brand, in major Indian cities on June 24, 2025. (economictimes.indiatimes.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Cost remains a barrier. The Economic Times reported Mounjaro vials at ₹3,500 for 2.5 milligrams and ₹4,375 for 5 milligrams, or roughly ₹14,000 to ₹17,500 a month depending on dose. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Doctors and critics also point to side effects and drop-off. A December 2024 Times of India report cited nausea, vomiting, gallstones and pancreatitis in some patients, and cited US managed-care data showing fewer than half of users stayed on the drugs at six months. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) The Delhi study did not report widespread treatment stops, saying nausea, bloating and constipation were common early but manageable. Its main finding was narrower: even outside tightly controlled trials, substantial weight loss showed up in everyday care. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
