U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly and Company (India) Pvt. Ltd. and Indian pharmaceutical major Cipla Limited announced a partnership to distribute and promote tirzepatide in India under a new brand name, Yurpeak, expanding access to the innovative diabetes and obesity treatment across the country.
Under the agreement, Cipla will distribute and promote Yurpeak, which will serve as the second brand of tirzepatide in India.
Eli Lilly will continue to manufacture and supply the drug, while Cipla will handle its distribution network to ensure wider availability, particularly in markets where Lilly currently has limited presence.
The companies said the price of Yurpeak will remain the same as that of Lilly’s original brand, Mounjaro, which was launched in India earlier this year.
Winselow Tucker, President and General Manager of Lilly India, said the collaboration underscores Lilly’s long-term commitment to improving access to advanced treatments for chronic conditions.
“The introduction of a second brand of tirzepatide in India through our commercial agreement with Cipla furthers Lilly’s commitment to expanding access to innovative treatments for chronic conditions,” Tucker said. “With India facing a growing burden of type 2 diabetes and obesity, broader availability of tirzepatide will ensure that more patients can benefit from this innovative therapy.”
Cipla’s Global Chief Operating Officer, Achin Gupta, said the partnership marks the company’s entry into obesity care, a therapeutic area of increasing public health importance.
“At Cipla, we remain steadfast in our commitment to advancing patient care by facilitating access to the best of global scientific innovation,” Gupta said.
“With the introduction of Yurpeak (tirzepatide), we are stepping into obesity care with the same commitment and scale that have defined our efforts in respiratory and chronic therapies. Our partnership with Lilly reflects our resolve to address one of the most pressing health concerns of our time and offer patients innovative, accessible solutions that can transform health outcomes.”
Tirzepatide, a prescription medicine, is the first and only dual agonist of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors.
It is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise for adults with type 2 diabetes and for chronic weight management in adults with obesity (body mass index ≥ 30) or overweight (BMI ≥ 27) with at least one weight-related comorbidity.
Yurpeak will be available in KwikPen form, a multi-dose, single-patient-use prefilled pen. Each pen will contain four fixed doses administered once weekly.
The drug will be offered in six dose strengths — 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, and 15 mg — allowing healthcare professionals to personalize treatment for individual patient needs.
India faces one of the world’s largest burdens of diabetes and obesity.
According to recent estimates, about 101 million Indians live with diabetes, and nearly half of these patients experience poor glycemic control.
Obesity, which affects about 6.5 percent of Indian adults — roughly 100 million people — is a major contributor to the diabetes epidemic and is linked to more than 200 health complications, including heart disease, certain cancers, and sleep apnea.
Industry observers say the Lilly-Cipla agreement is poised to strengthen the availability of cutting-edge diabetes and obesity treatments in India while leveraging Cipla’s deep distribution network and Lilly’s global innovation expertise.
The partnership is also expected to intensify competition in India’s emerging metabolic health market, where demand for effective weight and glucose management therapies is growing rapidly.
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