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Novo Nordisk Launches Wegovy Weight-Loss Drug in India

Priced from ₹17,345 to ₹26,050 per month, the weekly semaglutide injection targets $1 billion in sales over seven years, facing growing competition as its patent nears expiry.

Boxes of Wegovy made by Novo Nordisk are seen at a pharmacy in London, Britain March 8, 2024.
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Pens for the diabetes drug Ozempic sit on a production line to be packaged at the Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's site in Hillerod, Denmark, September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Little/File Photo

Overview

  • Wegovy, a once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist, debuted across India on June 24 in five dosing strengths delivered via a pen device and approved for long-term weight management and cardiovascular risk reduction.
  • India’s obesity burden is substantial, with 254 million people classified as generally obese and 351 million suffering from abdominal obesity, according to ICMR-INDIAB statistics.
  • Novo Nordisk aims to leverage its established insulin distribution network in India and is pursuing $1 billion in Wegovy revenue over the next five to seven years.
  • Eli Lilly’s rival, Mounjaro (tirzepatide), launched in India in March, has already generated significant early sales, intensifying market competition.
  • Novo Nordisk ended its partnership with Hims & Hers over alleged deceptive marketing of compounded semaglutide and braces for generic entries after the semaglutide patent expires in March 2026.