- Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw warns against widespread GLP-1 use in non-obese, non-diabetics
- Mazumdar-Shaw advises diet and exercise first due to unknown long-term GLP-1 side effects
- Zerodha's Nithin Kamath notes generic GLP-1 demand in India is weaker than expected
A debate over the adoption of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs in India has intensified after Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw cautioned against their widespread use among healthy individuals, responding to Zerodha Founder and CEO Nithin Kamath's observations on weaker-than-expected demand for generic versions of the medicines.
Replying to Kamath's post on X, Mazumdar-Shaw said GLP-1 drugs should not be the first option for people who are neither diabetic nor clinically obese.
"For those who are not diabetic or clinically obese, diet & exercise should be first option. GLP-1 alters metabolic function n has neurological signalling which in the long term may have side effects. There is not much long term data on chronic use of GLP-1s," she wrote.
For those who are not diabetic or clinically obese, diet & exercise should be first option. GLP-1 alters metabolic function n has neurological signalling which in the long term may have side effects. There is not much long term data on chronic use of GLP-1s. https://t.co/DjBLT0arbM
— Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (@kiranshaw) June 26, 2026
Earlier, Kamath questioned why demand for generic GLP-1 drugs has failed to take off despite becoming significantly more affordable.
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"India is a weird market. With obesity rates shooting up, I'd have bet on the sales of generic GLP-1s exploding once their patents expired. They now cost about Rs 1,000–2,500 a month, and there's growing evidence pointing to benefits well beyond weight loss, including cardiovascular, metabolic, and liver health. Yet, generic drugmakers are quietly cutting their sales targets by 25–30%," he wrote on X.
Kamath argued that affordability may not be the key hurdle, noting that the monthly cost of the medicines is now lower than many gym memberships. Instead, he suggested that long-term patient retention could be the bigger challenge.
"The real problem seems to be retention. GLP-1s are injectables, and you have to keep taking them. If you stop, you gain back the lost weight. It seems like asking someone to stay on a weekly injection indefinitely is a much harder sell," he said.
He also pointed to other factors that may be slowing adoption, including conservative prescribing practices by Indian doctors and reluctance among patients to self-administer injections.
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"Given that there are now GLP-1 pills, I'm wondering if the adoption curve will change," Kamath added.
The exchange comes as generic GLP-1 medicines become available in India following patent expiries, but industry expectations of a sharp surge in demand have yet to materialise.
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