Ozempic to be available in 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg doses in IndiaLowest dose priced at $24.35 per weekIndia has most type 2 diabetes cases after China
Dec 12 (Reuters) – Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO)opens new tab launched Ozempic in India on Friday, pricing the 0.25 mg dose at $24.35 per week and targeting a booming diabetes and obesity market expected to power industry growth this decade.
Ozempic will be sold in pen format in 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg doses, Novo said. Monthly prices are 8,800 rupees for 0.25 mg, 10,170 rupees for 0.5 mg and 11,175 rupees for 1 mg, with each pen covering four weekly doses.
Sign up here.
“The price will serve as a benchmark for generic launches expected next quarter… Would look at 50% discount to Novo prices,” said Vishal Manchanda, an analyst at Systematix Institutional Equities.
India has the world’s second-largest population of type 2 diabetes patients after China and rising obesity rates, making it a key battleground for weight-loss and metabolic drugs. Analysts expect the segment to reach $150 billion annually by decade-end.
Ozempic, approved in the United States in 2017 for type 2 diabetes, has become a global bestseller and is widely used off-label for weight loss. Novo said it also reduces the risk of cardiovascular events and kidney issues.
The drug can be prescribed only by endocrinologists or internal medicine specialists and is not intended for cosmetic use, said Shashank Joshi, consultant endocrinologist at Mumbai-based Lilavati Hospital.
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 Purchase Licensing Rightsopens new tab
“Ozempic also helps people with weight loss of up to 8 kilograms in people with diabetes… So, this medication has benefits beyond glycemic control,” said Novo Nordisk India head Vikrant Shrotriya.
Novo faces competition from Eli Lilly (LLY.N)opens new tabwhose Mounjaro is approved for diabetes and weight loss, while Novo’s Wegovy, which also uses semaglutide, was launched in India in June. Last month, Novo cut Wegovy’s price by up to 37% ahead of semaglutide’s March 2026 patent expiry.
“We realised just after a couple months that for accessibility, we had to take a price cut,” Shrotriya said.
Indian drugmakers including Sun Pharma (SUN.NS)opens new tabCipla (CIPL.NS)opens new tabDr. Reddy’s (REDY.NS)opens new tab and Lupin (LUPN.NS)opens new tab are racing to develop semaglutide generics.
Novo had planned to launch Ozempic this month, Reuters reported earlier, to secure an early footing before cheaper domestic versions arrive.
($1 = 90.3375 Indian rupees)
Reporting by Rishika Sadam and Kashish Tandon; Editing by Janane Venkatraman, Mrigank Dhaniwala and Nivedita Bhattacharjee
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.opens new tab
Purchase Licensing Rights
Rishika leads Reuters’ coverage of India’s pharmaceutical and healthcare sector. Her reporting focuses on key themes such as the emergence of weight-loss drugs, the country’s drug regulatory framework and manufacturing quality standards, and developments shaping India’s pharmaceutical exports to major markets including the United States and Europe. She also covers the country’s rapidly growing hospital industry. With nearly a decade of experience in journalism, Rishika has previously reported extensively on Indian politics, national elections, and on social affairs and criminal justice.