Cipla Inks Deal To Sell Eli Lilly’s Weight-Loss Drug; Sena's Milind Deora Reacts

Last Updated:October 24, 2025, 15:16 IST

On October 23, Lilly and Mumbai-based Cipla announced a joint agreement to distribute and promote tirzepatide under the brand Yurpeak.

Shiv Sena leader Milind Deora.

Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Milind Deora on Friday took a swipe at pharmaceutical firm Cipla following reports that the company will sell Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug Mounjaro in India, accusing the company of hypocrisy.

“So now #Cipla will sell @EliLillyandCo’s weight-loss drug #Mounjaro in India. So much for Cipla’s lofty claims of being ‘citizen-centric before profit-centric.’ Stop acting holier-than-thou & giving Indians gyaan while doing the opposite!" he said in a post on X.

Deora’s remarks came after the Indian pharma giant announced an agreement with the US pharmaceutical firm, acquiring the rights to distribute its weight-loss drug Mounjaro. The drug, which was launched in India in March, will be sold by Cipla under a different brand name, Yurpeak, across the country.

Within six months of its debut, Mounjaro became the second-highest-selling drug in India, recording sales worth 80 crore in September, according to data from marketing intelligence and analytics firm Pharmarack.

On October 23, Lilly and Mumbai-based Cipla announced a joint agreement to distribute and promote tirzepatide under the brand Yurpeak.

As per the statement, Cipla will have exclusive rights to market and distribute Yurpeak across India, while Lilly will continue to manufacture and supply the product. Both companies confirmed that Yurpeak will be priced the same as Mounjaro.

The partnership is significant, as it allows Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug to leverage Cipla’s extensive distribution footprint — reaching beyond the traditional large metros where Mounjaro is currently available. The company has described the agreement as “strategic," coming just months before the primary patent for Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide (Wegovy) — a rival to tirzepatide (Mounjaro) — is set to expire in India in March next year.

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

Read More

News india Cipla Inks Deal To Sell Eli Lilly’s Weight-Loss Drug; Sena's Milind Deora Reacts

Read More