Buying GLP-1 medicines in India: CDSCO approvals and travel

Marketing approvals and trial permissions are different records

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) publishes approved new drug information and, in a separate list, clinical-trial permissions. A trial approval for semaglutide or tirzepatide does not mean a finished product is cleared for sale to the public. Ask the prescriber or pharmacist to name the marketed medicine, manufacturer, strength and the authorisation behind the supply.

Check the formulation and indication closely

A search for oral semaglutide brings up several formulations and diabetes studies. None of this shows Wegovy tablets are available for weight management. A tirzepatide approval for one presentation or indication does not cover every device or use either. The CDSCO record cited here includes a 2024 tirzepatide prefilled-pen approval for type 2 diabetes. Any newer indications and brands need checking against their own records.

Use one local clinician and pharmacy

Know who is assessing you and which pharmacy supplies the medicine. Ask how follow-up works and what happens when you return overseas. Bring your treatment history, and do not swap to a different product because the ingredient sounds familiar. If you are offered a generic or another formulation, ask for its regulatory status and its own instructions for use. Do not assume it works like your previous medicine.

Check your destination's rules before you take Indian stock abroad

A lawful purchase from an Indian pharmacy gives you no permission to post or carry the medicine into another country. Check your destination's rules before you pay for a larger supply or an international shipment. Ask for a full invoice and keep the original packaging. Discuss how your product should be handled in delivery and travel. A low price is soon lost to an unusable parcel, missing documents or a break in care.

Check the product with CDSCO before you buy

Confirm the exact product and its approved use in CDSCO records before buying Mounjaro, Wegovy injection, Wegovy tablets or Foundayo. Approval, clinical suitability, reimbursement, stock and import rules abroad each need a separate answer.

• Ask a clinician in India which product suits you and whether your treatment history is enough for an assessment.
• Get the full cost, covering consultations, dispensing and delivery, before you sign up to ongoing treatment.
• Keep the packaging, prescription and dispensing record. Check with the pharmacist before using medicine from a damaged parcel or with an unknown storage history.