Sun Pharma cleared to sell generic Wegovy, intensifies India’s obesity‑drug race

By Kashish Tandon and Rishika Sadam

Jan 23 (Reuters) – Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, India’s top drugmaker by revenue, said on Friday it has received a regulatory nod to manufacture and sell semaglutide, the generic version of blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, in the populous nation.

The drugmaker plans to launch generic semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and its blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic, under the brand name Noveltreat for weight loss once the semaglutide patent expires in March.

The upcoming patent expiry for semaglutide opens the door for Indian generic drugmakers to enter the weight-loss market with cheaper versions of both Wegovy and Ozempic.

The entry of generic drugmakers into the lucrative market, projected to reach $150 billion globally by the end of the decade, is expected to pressure sales of branded drugs, as copycat versions typically launch at steep discounts.

Last year, U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly launched Mounjaro in India, while Danish drugmaker Novo introduced Wegovy and Ozempic. Sales of the drugs doubled shortly after launch.

Sun Pharma is now the second Indian company to secure regulatory approval for generic semaglutide, following Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, which earlier this week announced approval to manufacture and sell the generic version of Ozempic.

Semaglutide belongs to a class of therapies that help control blood sugar and slow digestion.

“The generic players will come in with lower prices and expand the number of people they can reach out to given their aggressive marketing strategy,” said Vishal Manchanda, an analyst with Systematix Institutional Equities.

Sun Pharma said Noveltreat will be available in the same dose strengths as Wegovy.

The company also plans to launch a generic version of Ozempic under the brand name Sematrinity. Sun Pharma received regulatory approval for Sematrinity in December.

Ozempic, though mainly approved for type 2 diabetes, is used off-label for weight loss due to its appetite-suppressing effects.

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru and Rishika Sadam in Hyderabad; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)