Hyderabad: US-based pharmaceutical major Eli Lilly has announced a $1 billion investment to set up its first manufacturing unit and quality hub in India, even as the company seeks to boost its production capacities in India despite US President Donald Trump’s threat of 100% tariffs on imported branded pharmaceuticals.
The company is looking to set up a state of the art manufacturing plant in Hyderabad which will focus solely on its branded drugs, especially its highly popular weight loss drug Mounjaro.
Eli Lilly, has, so far, depended on contract manufacturers to supply its medications in the country, and this investment is also meant to strengthen the network. The pharma major has had a headstart in India’s vast market for weight loss and blood sugar control market with its tirzepatide-based Mounjaro drug launched in March this year. Its nearest rival, Ozempic by Novo Nordisk, with a similar efficacy, has only just received the regulator nod for launch.
Besides this, company is aiming to expand its capacity in one of its leading markets, while also boosting its supply capacities across the world.“Working with trusted contract manufacturers expands our capabilities to deliver life-changing medicines at greater scale – with quality always at the core. This investment reaffirms our confidence in India as a hub for capability building within our global network,” Patrik Jonsson, the Executive Vice President at Eli Lilly, said.
