Vitamin Supplement Sales Surge Following Launch of Semaglutide in the Indian Market

India Sees Surge in Demand for Nutraceuticals and Supplements Amid Rise of Generic Semaglutide Medicines

The launch of generic versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient behind popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs such as Ozempic, has triggered a significant increase in demand for nutraceuticals and multivitamin supplements in India, according to a report by the Times of India. This surge is largely attributed to the growing use of generic semaglutide medicines in the country, which has led to a sharp rise in the prescription of vitamins, protein supplements, and nutritional support to patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists.

GLP-1 receptor agonists are a class of anti-obesity medicines known to suppress appetite and reduce food intake. However, this reduction in appetite has also led to nutritional deficiencies among patients, prompting the need for additional supplementation. Sales of vitamin supplements rose 11.6 percent in April to Rs 871.85 crore from Rs 780.57 crore in March, according to data from pharma market tracker Pharmarack, cited by the Times of India. The broader vitamin-mineral-nutrition category also expanded by nearly 10 percent during the same period.

Doctors are increasingly prescribing vitamins, protein supplements, and nutritional support to patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists to prevent muscle loss and other nutritional deficiencies. Clinicians have pointed out that reduced appetite among patients using GLP-1 drugs is leading to a lack of essential nutrients, which can be addressed through vitamin supplementation.

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A Mumbai-based patient who began using a GLP-1 medication in April underwent blood tests beforehand to identify nutritional gaps. The patient was found to be short on vitamins D and B12 and iron, which were rectified with supplements.

Research has also highlighted the importance of vitamin supplementation in patients taking GLP-1 medicines. An analysis published in the Clinical Obesity journal earlier this year reviewed six studies involving over 480,000 middle-aged and older adults with diabetes, obesity, or both who were treated with GLP-1 medicines. The analysis found that vitamin D deficiency emerged as the most common issue, affecting 13.6 percent of participants after 12 months of treatment. Nutritional anaemia impacted 4 percent of patients, while iron deficiency and vitamin B deficiency affected 3.2 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively.

Endocrinologist Dr Shashank Joshi emphasized the need for strict screening of patients for deficiencies before introducing vitamin supplementation. He recommended that patients focus on fibre intake, hydration, and protein consumption through diet and exercise, while vitamin supplementation should only be introduced after a detailed medical evaluation. Dr Joshi also noted that India currently lacks sufficient local data to fully assess the extent of micronutrient deficiencies linked to GLP-1 medications.

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