Eli Lilly said on Thursday India's drug regulator had approved the launch of pre-filled injector pens of its blockbuster weight-loss drug, Mounjaro, giving it more options to compete with Novo Nordisk's recently launched Wegovy.

Novo Nordisk had been providing Hims & Hers with the FDA-approved Wegovy, an injectable semaglutide used for weight loss since late April in order to transition patients off compounded drugs, or off-label versions of the medication, according to the news release.

Wegovy is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that acts on key areas of the brain involved in appetite regulation and food intake thereby reducing hunger, improving satiety and reducing cravings for food, eventually inducing weight loss.