Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has confirmed its intention to enter the Indian market with its blockbuster GLP-1 receptor agonist Semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, despite facing patent expiration in January 2026.
"Even as we face patent expiration for Semaglutide, we'll probably still launch the product in markets and [drive] volume growth, and to do that we need to have a very large manufacturing footprint," said Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, Novo Nordisk's Chief Executive Officer, during a press briefing on Thursday.
Semaglutide has gained worldwide attention for its effectiveness in treating both diabetes and obesity, with demand significantly outpacing supply in key markets. The drug has been hailed as a breakthrough therapy, particularly for weight management, though it has not yet been officially launched in India.
Indian Market Landscape and Generic Competition
The impending patent expiry in 2026 has triggered a race among India's top pharmaceutical companies to develop generic versions of GLP-1 drugs. Major players including Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Sun Pharma, Biocon, Cipla, and Natco Pharma are actively working on their own versions of Semaglutide.
Hyderabad-based Natco Pharma has secured a significant advantage by obtaining first-to-file exclusivity under Paragraph IV for all strengths of Wegovy and key strengths of Ozempic. This would potentially grant the company a 180-day exclusivity period to market generic variants, pending regulatory and legal clearances.
GV Prasad, Co-Chairman and Managing Director of Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, confirmed their strategic positioning: "We are registering the products around the world, including India, and the first few generic versions will start rolling out as soon as they go off-patent. We have already made the products for testing but cannot launch until patent expiration."
Dr. Reddy's is targeting markets where patents expire earliest, with plans for India slightly behind their timeline for Canada and Brazil. The company is developing a portfolio of approximately 15 GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and obesity treatment.
Novo Nordisk's Global Strategy
Despite the looming generic competition, Novo Nordisk remains confident in its ability to maintain market leadership. Camilla Sylvest, Executive Vice President at Novo Nordisk, addressed the company's approach: "We are already available in more than 80 countries...in those countries [with patent expiry], we are also ready to continue to be a leader in the way we go to the market with Semaglutide, we are prepared for that."
While no specific timeline for the Indian launch was provided, Sylvest emphasized the company's commitment: "We will continue to be very focused on Semaglutide for many years to come, including in countries where we will see a loss of exclusivity."
The company draws confidence from its previous experience with Victoza, another GLP-1 drug that faced early loss of exclusivity in the US in November 2024. "This was the same, where we were also in a position to be able to compete even after loss of exclusivity," Sylvest noted.
Market Potential and Competitive Landscape
According to Goldman Sachs, the global market for GLP-1 drugs is projected to reach $100 billion by 2030, highlighting the enormous commercial opportunity these medications represent.
Adding to the competitive landscape, US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly plans to launch its anti-obesity drug Tirzepatide (another GLP-1 receptor agonist) in India this year, potentially beating Novo Nordisk to the Indian market.
In the US, where Semaglutide will maintain patent protection until 2032, Novo Nordisk recently reduced the price of Wegovy to $499 per month for cash-paying patients as the drug moved off the FDA's shortage list. This price adjustment follows similar action by Eli Lilly for its weight-loss drug Zepbound.
The Role of Generics in Pharmaceutical Innovation
Dr. Reddy's GV Prasad highlighted the complementary roles of innovator and generic pharmaceutical companies in the industry ecosystem. "While innovators are crucial for advancing medicine and developing new drugs, generic companies ensure affordability and drive continued innovation. Without generic competition, innovator companies might price their products very high indefinitely."
He emphasized that even generic drug development involves significant investment, typically costing between $2-3 million per product, though substantially less than the over $1 billion required for novel drug discovery and development.
As both innovator and generic companies prepare their strategies for the evolving GLP-1 market in India, patients may ultimately benefit from increased access to these highly effective therapies through greater availability and potentially lower prices resulting from competition.
