Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk prepared to enter India despite patent expiry, generic competition

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is prepared to enter the Indian market and other markets with its blockbuster drug Ozempic, despite losing patent exclusivity early next year.

“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,” Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, Novo Nordisk’s chief executive officer, said in a press briefing on Thursday.

“We’re using the years of successful growth to invest in that capacity,” he added.

Also Read | Investors seek answers on Novo Nordisk’s next-gen obesity drug CagriSema

Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 drug Semaglutide, sold under brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, has been hailed as a miracle drug for treating obesity, with demand outpacing supply in key markets.

While the drug has not been launched in India yet, it is quickly approaching patent expiry in January 2026. India’s top generics players like Dr Reddy’s, Sun Pharma, Biocon, Cipla and more are rushing to develop versions of GLP-1 drugs, including generic copies of Semaglutide.

The drug will lose exclusivity in the US in 2032.

Also Read | Eli Lilly’s Zepbound beats Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy in first head-to-head study

US innovator Eli Lilly is also planning to launch its anti-obesity drug Tirzepatide (another GLP-1 receptor agonist like Semaglutide) in India this year.

No clear timeline

“It’s difficult to guide on exactly when Ozempic is coming to what countries,” Camilla Sylvest, executive vice president at Novo Nordisk, said at the briefing, addressing a question on the brand’s potential India launch.

“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,” Sylvest said.

“We have many opportunities to ensure that Semaglutide can get to many more patients also in those countries…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,” she added.

Also Read | Novo Nordisk India execs urge early Wegovy launch as weight-loss rival looms

The company had faced early loss of exclusivity earlier, with its GLP-1 drug Victoza, which expired 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 said.

According to Goldman Sachs, the market for GLP-1 drugs is expected to reach $100 billion by 2030. 

Indian companies are gearing up to cash in on the blockbuster opportunity.

Hyderabad-headquartered Natco pharma has secured first-to-file exclusivity under Paragraph IV for all strengths of Wegovy and key strengths of Ozempic, which would give it a 180-day exclusivity to market generic variants, if the company clears all legal and regulatory hurdles. 

Dr Reddy’s plans to launch in India, Canada and Brazil as well as other emerging markets where patents are expiring or don’t exist. Sun Pharma has already undertaken clinical trials for Semaglutide, while Biocon inked a pact for Semaglutide commercialization in Brazil with Biomm last year. 

Meanwhile in the US, Novo Nordisk cut prices of Wegovy to $499 per month for cash paying patients, as it moved out of FDA’s shortage list. This comes on the heels of rival Eli Lilly cutting prices of its weight-loss drug Zepbound.