Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk will launch its blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic in India this month, three sources familiar with the matter said, as it seeks to strengthen its foothold in the world’s most populous nation.
India has the second highest number of people with type 2 diabetes after China and rising obesity rates, making it a critical
battleground for drug makers vying for a share of the fast-growing weight-loss treatment market, which analysts expect to reach $150 billion annually by the end of the decade.
APPROVED BY FDA
Ozempic, a once-weekly injectable approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2017 for type 2 diabetes, has become a global bestseller and is widely used off-label for weight loss due to its appetite-suppressing effects. Novo’s Wegovy, which like Ozempic is semaglutide, is approved for weight loss.
“Novo wants Ozempic in the market before generics bring out cheaper versions,” one of the sources said, adding the launch could happen within the next three to four weeks.
Novo, which in September said it secured Indian regulatory approval to import and sell Ozempic, on Thursday said it hoped to launch the drug as early as possible, but did not give further details on an updated timeline or the drug’s pricing.
PRICE SENSITIVE
“We understand that India is a price sensitive market and hence we are working hard towards pricing (Ozempic) that is market competitive,’ Novo Nordisk India Managing Director Vikrant Shrotriya said.
The arrival of Ozempic in India will complete Novo’s semaglutide portfolio offering treatment for diabetes and obesity in the country, he said.
STIFF COMPETITION The move comes as Wegovy faces stiff competition from US rival Eli Lilly, whose Mounjaro, which is approved for diabetes and weight loss, became India’s top-selling drug by value in October, according to data from Pharmarack.
Eli Lilly sold 262,000 doses of Mounjaro in October, compared with 26,000 doses of Novo’s Wegovy, which entered the market in June.
Last month, Novo Nordisk cut Wegovy’s price in India by up to 37 per cent ahead ofthe March 2026 expiration of its patent on semaglutide, which will open the door to cheaper generics. India’s generic drug makers including Sun Pharma, Cipla, Dr Reddy’s and Lupin have been developing their own versions of semaglutide to get in on the weight-loss windfall.
Novo already has a strong foothold in India’s diabetes market through its Rybelsus semaglutide tablets and other products, Systematix Institutional Equities analyst Vishal Manchanda said, adding that Novo will be better poised to push Ozempic because of its strong brand reputation in the diabetes therapy area.
“There is a possibility that Ozempic could be prescribed for those suffering with infertility, sleep apnea and looking to shed some weight,” Manchanda said.
Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro belong to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists originally developed for diabetes, but which mimic a hormone that also slows digestion and helps people feel full longer.
