New Delhi, Sept. 8 -- In a move to address India's obesity crisis, two major pharmaceutical companies-Sun Pharma Laboratories Ltd and Lupin Ltd-are working to create an affordable anti-obesity pill, according to documents seen by Mint and a person familiar with the matter.

Both companies have submitted their plans to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), seeking regulatory approval to proceed. Currently, leading anti-obesity drugs like Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, which is available in injectable form, and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, available as a pill and an injection, are limiting accessibility and patient comfort.

While there is no data comparing the efficacy of the oral and the injectable semaglutide variants, experts believe that the ...