Sun Pharma gets nod to launch semaglutide generic in India; anti-obesity drug market competition to heat up
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India's top drug maker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries has announced today the launch of a generic version of semaglutide, the main ingredient for Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy and blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic, heating the competition in the anti-diabetes and anti-obesity drug market in the country.
Sun Pharma said it has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to manufacture and market a generic version of semaglutide injection. Sun Pharma will launch generic semaglutide injection under the brand name 'Noveltreat' in March, after the expiry of the semaglutide patent in India. The approval follows a review of a Phase III clinical trial conducted in India. Noveltreat will be available in five dose strengths - 0.25 mg/0.5 mL, 0.5 mg/0.5 mL, 1 mg/0.5 mL, 1.7 mg/0.75 mL, and 2.4 mg/0.75 mL, with a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg once weekly. The product is administered via an easy-to-use prefilled pen, designed to support convenient and accurate dosing. The company has not specified its price.
In December 2025, Sun Pharma received DCGI approval for manufacturing and marketing semaglutide injection for the treatment of adults with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus as an adjunct to diet and exercise. It will be launched under the brand name 'Sematrinity', after the expiry of the semaglutide patent in India.
Semaglutide belongs to the GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide) class of drugs, one of the most advanced medicines currently in use for treating diabetes and obesity. Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro (tirzepatide) are the main blockbusters globally. The India anti-obesity drugs market size reached USD 80 million in 2024 and will grow to USD 190 million by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9% during 2025-2033, says IMARC, a market research group.
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Eli Lilly's Mounjaro became the top-selling drug by value in India within months of launch, exceeding Rs 100 crore in monthly sales by October 2025 and over Rs 300 crore within three months of launch.
Apart from Sun Pharma, Indian companies like Zydus Lifesciences, Macleods Pharma, Hetero Labs, Alkem, Torrent, Intas, Cipla, Emcure, Dr Reddy's Lab and Lupin are expected to launch generic versions of Semaglutide in India.
For Novo, global Ozempic revenue grew from $280 million (2018) to nearly $18 billion (2024 ), while Wegovy sales were estimated at around $8.2 billion in 2024 and projected to grow as $11.9 billion in 2025.