NEW DELHI: The much-hyped weight-loss and semaglutide therapy market has hit an early speed bump. Sluggish sales of semaglutide therapies in May have raised fears of inventory-led losses, with industry estimates pegging the value of excess stock in the trade channel at around Rs 100 crore, sources told TOI.At present, stockists and wholesalers are holding 50-60 days of inventory, well above the normal 30-45 days, and have stopped fresh procurement from pharmaceutical companies until existing stocks are cleared, they added. The strong growth witnessed in the Rs 2,000-crore obesity therapy market in April lost steam in May, with month-on-month (m-o-m) value growth slowing to 6% and unit growth at 12%, according to the latest data from market research firm Pharmarack.
In comparison, the market had surged 50% month-on-month in value terms and 88% in volumes in April, following a flood of cheaper generic semaglutide launches after the drug went off-patent on March 20. The market witnessed a rapid influx of generic semaglutide brands from players, including Torrent, Sun Pharma and Dr Reddy’s, following the patent expiry.Rajiv Singhal, general secretary AIOCD (All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists) said: “There is significant inventory overhang in the market, with stockists and wholesalers currently holding nearly 50-60 days of GLP-1 (semaglutide) stock. Sales in May were slower than anticipated, leading channel partners to pause fresh purchases from manufacturers until existing stocks are liquidated. The inventory in the trade channel could be worth close to Rs 100 crore’’. AIOCD represents over 12 lakh chemists and stockists across the country.Meanwhile, weight-loss shot Mounjaro (tirzepatide) marketed by Eli Lilly continued to be the largest selling therapy in the pharma market during May as well, with sales up by 12% at Rs 136 crore. Overall, the Rs 2.5 lakh crore organised pharma retail grew nearly 11% during the month, buoyed largely by chronic therapies.Both semaglutide and tirzepatide belong to the GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonists class, used for the management of type 2 diabetes and obesity.Industry executives said the moderation in sales after the initial surge may partly be linked to govt advisories and prescribing restrictions around GLP-1 therapies. The guidelines announced in April stipulate that these medicines should be prescribed only by qualified specialists.
