With patents expiring today in India for Novo Nordisk’s popular diabetes and obesity drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, more than 40 generic drug makers are expected to begin launching their cheaper versions in the country, with one company saying it will slash starter doses to 1,290 rupees ($13.79) per month.
Lining up to launch their GLP-1 copycats are nearly all of India’s generics heavyweights, including Sun Pharma, Dr. Reddy’s, Cipla, Biocon and Mankind. Earlier this week, Mumbai-based powerhouses Lupin and Zydus unveiled a licensing and supply collaboration for semaglutide designed to take advantage of the former’s commercial presence and the latter’s developmental prowess. Zydus, which has said it will launch its product today, also has struck a similar partnership with Torrent Pharmaceuticals.
With so many companies launching their products, the next few weeks are expected to be “chaotic,” the Hindustan Times reports, “overwhelming prescribers with aggressive marketing campaigns and varying device quality.”
Since Novo and Eli Lilly launched their competing diabetes and weight loss drugs in India, use has been limited largely to urbanites wealthy enough to afford the treatments. But with cheaper versions available, experts believe many more patients will flood the market.
“With high demand, falling prices and multiple brands, you may see direct pharmacy purchases, distributor-level leakages, or cosmetic or lifestyle use especially in urban markets,” Mumbai-based healthcare industry consultant Salil Kallianpur told Reuters. “This could lead to misuse, poor titration and unmanaged side effects and eventually regulatory tightening.”
Also launching on Friday was Natco, which received regulatory approval for its semaglutide knockoffs last month from India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). Natco will sell multi-dose vials priced from 1,290 rupees ($13.79) to 1,750 rupees ($18.71) per month based on the dosage and will provide pen devices for between 4,000 rupees ($42.77) and 4,500 rupees ($48.12) per month.
Novo has been selling its branded Ozempic at prices ranging between 8,800 rupees ($94) and 11,175 rupees ($119) and Wegovy at up to 16,400 rupees ($175) per month. Generic competition will also likely impact Lilly, which began selling tirzepatide in India a year ago and at a generally higher price than Novo charges for semaglutide.
The market in India is huge. After China, it has the second-largest number of people with diabetes (90 million), compared to 148 million in China and 38.5 million in the U.S.
India will be an interesting test case as drugmakers flood the market with generics. While semaglutide will lose its patent protection in several other countries around the world in the next few years, it won’t happen in Europe or the United States until the 2031-32 timeframe. By then, the competitive landscape will likely be vastly different with several more products on the market.
