Weight-loss drug race spurs obesity awareness ad blitz

Rules bar advertising of prescription drugs, prompting firms to promote disease awareness

- Jessica Jani & Neethi Lisa Rojanas

Cricket fans watching the high-stakes clash between India and Pakistan in the ICCMen'sT20 World Cup afew weeks ago may have been surprised to see video commercials by drugmaker Eli Lilly promoting obesity awareness and urging people to consult doctors.

They may now have to get used to it. Pharmaceutical companies such as Eli Lilly and rival Novo Nordisk are stepping up multimedia awareness campaigns, working around Indian rules that prohibit the direct advertising of prescription drugs, as the race for India’s nascent but lucrative weight-loss drug market intensifies.

Drug makers are treading a fine regulatory line by not directly promoting their drugs, but building awareness around obesity as a disease and encouraging users to consult doctors. While not entirely unheard of, awareness campaigns by pharma companies at this scale—with multimedia ads on TV, print and social media, and featuring several celebrities—are certainly a first.