Novo Nordisk preparing to launch weight-loss drug Wegovy in India

Mint

7 hours ago

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is betting on its insulin leadership in India to dominate the country's $25-billion anti-obesity drug market with the imminent launch of its weight-loss therapy, a top company official said.
Novo Nordisk is preparing to launch Wegovy in India, where millions of people are battling obesity and demand for the weight-loss drug is expected to be massive. The drug will be launched in several dosage strengths at accessible price-points.
'We are launching with full preparation and we are launching with a big bang to make it happen in India," Vikrant Shrotriya, managing director of Novo Nordisk India, told Mint in an interview.
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Ahead of the launch, the firm has taken steps to amplify its production capacities to ensure adequate supply and believes that its position as a market leader for insulin products—used to treat and manage diabetes—in the country could give it an edge, Shrotriya said, adding that the company is gunning for a strong market share in the growing Indian anti-obesity market.
Novo Nordisk, which shot to popularity through its weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, is late to the Indian market. The company launched Ozempic in the US in 2018 and Wegovy in 2021.
It lost the first-mover advantage to competitor Eli Lilly, which launched its weight-loss drug Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) in the country in March 2025. It is also staring at a loss of patent protection for Semaglutide—the compound in drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, in India in March 2026. The patent expiration will trigger a rush of generic copies from Indian companies.
The company faced several supply constraints over the past few years as demand for its weight-loss drugs shot up globally.
'It was an unprecedented demand after the launch of the products," said Shrotriya, adding that the company has worked on strengthening its supply chain through investments in manufacturing capabilities across the world to plug the gaps.
The company will launch Wegovy in India in five dosing strengths, as a pen-filled device, for ease of use. Novo Nordisk already has an oral form of Semaglutide, Rybelsus, in India from 2022. Rybelsus has clocked sales over ₹400 crore in India by March 2025, according to pharma data agency IQVIA.
While Shrotriya declined to share the pricing for Wegovy, he said that it would have an 'India-specific" pricing strategy to boost accessibility.
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Competitor Eli Lilly's drug Mounjaro, sold as a once-a-week vial injection, is priced at ₹17,500 per month.
Insulin edge
Shrotriya said that the company's leadership in India's insulin market will give it an edge in the anti-obesity segment as well. Novo Nordisk holds the lion's share of India's insulin market, accounting for over 50% of the market. Two of its brands, Mixtard and Ryzodeg, are among the top-selling insulin brands in India. According to pharma intelligence and B2B platform Pharmarack, India's insulin market was valued at ₹4,404 crore in April 2025.
'One out of two patients on insulin depend on us, despite having so many generic players…I think that partnership along with the doctors is something which is very close to our hearts. And that goes a long way to establish ourselves also in this new therapy area, which is obesity. So needless to say, that edge will also play a little bit to an advantage and strength," Shrotriya said.
Launching ahead of the patent expiry in March 2026 will also give it an advantage.
Semaglutide, the compound in Wegovy is a peptide, like insulin. 'Overall, the response to the market has been very, very good, for our insulin. And we hope to continue the same response in terms of our semaglutide even in the post-patent period," said Shrotriya.
Semaglutide and Tirzepatide, which is sold by Eli Lilly under brand name Mounjaro, are GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) drugs used to treat obesity and type-2 diabetes.
Earlier this year, Novo Nordisk said it would phase out pen-filled versions of its top-selling insulin brand Mixtard, which clocks ₹800 crore in annual sales. However, it will continue to sell them in vial form.
Shrotriya said that the insulin market would continue to remain a focus for Novo Nordisk. 'We will continue to be a very strong player in the diabetes space with our insulin," he said.
Competition in India
India has a large obesity burden, with 254 million people with generalized obesity and 351 million people with abdominal obesity, according to a 2023 Indian Council of Medical Research–India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study.
'India is an unaddressed market, and will possibly be one of the countries with the highest number of patients globally…although it will take time," Shrikant Akolkar, vice-president and head of pharmaceutical research at brokerage Nuvama, told Mint.
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According to a research note by Nuvama, the Indian weight loss market is worth $25 billion and could double in size by 2033.
With Novo Nordisk's drug compound Semaglutide set to lose its patent protection in the country in March 2026, several Indian players, including Dr. Reddy's, Sun Pharma, Cipla, Natco and Zydus Lifesciences are gearing up to launch cheaper generic copies of the weight-loss drug.
'The loss of patent could be a challenge for Novo Nordisk as the Indian generics will have the same active ingredient (Semaglutide). If you see global data, patients do not continue on this medicine for long, therefore if generic alternatives are available, people may look at Indian alternatives," Akolkar said.
Plus, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro has already gained ground, with ₹23.94 crore in sales in just three months of launch, according to data from Pharmarack.
There's a limited window for both Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to make money in the Indian anti-obesity market, before competitive generic alternatives enter the space, Akolkar added.
Novo Nordisk's reach with doctors will give it an edge, said Akolkar. 'Novo Nordisk, through their oral drug, for the past 3-4 years of groundwork, has laid a good foundation for patient awareness and reach to the doctors. They will possibly have a very good reach and may have to convert that reach from oral to injections as a low-hanging growth opportunity for them," he said.