ISYA AESTHETICS
Ozempic frenzy lures rich Indians to brave the gray market
People are going to great lengths to obtain popular weight-loss drugs. They are stashing injectables in their carry-on luggage, buying counterfeit formulas online, and importing boxes from Europe. The treatments have sparked extensive media coverage, fueling a high demand. According to Goldman Sachs Research, the anti-obesity medication market could hit $100 billion by 2030. In contrast, Indians have largely been observers in this global frenzy over the new weight-loss solutions.
Hollywood's blockbuster weight loss drugs are becoming all the rage among affluent Indians
According to doctors and fitness experts, queries come in every other day from (well-heeled) patients, asking whether they can take the expensive, injectable drugs to shed those stubborn kilos. “It’s coming up in conversations everywhere. Patients ask me about it all the time,” says Ambrish Mithal, chairman and head of endocrinology, Max Healthcare. There are a lot of people interested in taking Ozempic because “the weight loss is so dramatic”, says Kiran Sethi, medical director, Isya Aesthetics.
