India is becoming the main battleground for Ozempic generics after the patent expiration. According to researcher Sheetal Sapale from Pharmarack, around 42 drug manufacturers, including some smaller ones, are expected to launch products under more than 50 different brands this year. While Canada was the first country to lose patent protection for semaglutide in January, the Canadian health regulator has not approved any generics yet, making India the first major market to experience a flood of generic versions. The ensuing price war will be closely watched as the Danish pharmaceutical company faces patent expirations in key markets like China, Brazil, and Turkey. Bloomberg News analyzed corporate documents and earnings call transcripts to identify at least 12 major pharmaceutical companies planning to sell generic semaglutide shortly after the patent expires. Indian pharmaceutical companies have seized the opportunity of Ozempic's patent expiration to launch lower-priced generics in a country with the third-largest overweight population. Natco Pharma Ltd. plans to manufacture a semaglutide injection at one of the lowest initial market prices: 1290 rupees ($14) per month. Its pen device is expected to launch in April at a monthly cost of approximately 4500 rupees. In comparison, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pen costs about 10,480 rupees in India and around $199 in the US. The high demand for these drugs in India is driven by a rising incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases due to increasingly sedentary urban lifestyles. The Indian market for weight-loss products is estimated to be around $500 million, a figure that could reach $1 billion with the right pricing, good adoption, and government incentives.
