Interim Injunction
HC allows Dr Reddy's, OneSource Pharma to export semaglutide to some nations
This story was originally published at 20:40 IST on 2 December 2025
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NEW DELHI – Rejecting Novo Nordisk AS's plea for an interim injunction, the Delhi High Court Tuesday allowed Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. and OneSource Speciality Pharma Ltd. to manufacture their version of diabetes and obesity drug 'semaglutide' and export the same to countries where Novo Nordisk have not been granted a patent of the drug. However, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and OneSource Speciality will not sell their version of 'semaglutide' drug in India till March 2026, when Novo Nordisk's patent for the drug will expire.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora said that there was a credible challenge to the validity of Novo Nordisk's patent on drug 'semaglutide'. Currently, Novo Nordisk sells 'Wegovy' and 'Rybelsus' using its patent on the drug 'semaglutide' and received the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation's approval for its 'Ozempic'.
Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk held a primary consumption patent for 'semaglutide', which expired in September 2024. However, Novo Nordisk still held the secondary patent in India relating to the manufacturing process and delivery mechanism of 'semaglutide' drug, which remained valid till March 2026.
In December 2024, Dr. Reddy's received regulatory approval to manufacture 'semaglutide' drug and the company started the production in April. Consequently, Novo Nordisk moved the high court and filed a permanent injunction suit against Dr. Reddy's and OneSource Speciality on 'semaglutide' drug. Novo Nordisk has argued that Dr. Reddy's and OneSource Speciality imported 'semaglutide' active pharmaceutical ingredient and produced finished formulations without permission, consequently infringing its patent. Dr. Reddy's and OneSource Speciality were importing significant quantities of 'semaglutide' active pharmaceutical ingredient and exporting both the ingredient and finished injections in contravention of the Patents Act, said the Danish company.
In its reply, Dr Reddy's and OneSource Speciality said that the patent of Novo Nordisk lacked novelty and amounts to an attempt at evergreening to extend exclusivity beyond the expiry of the primary patent. Dr. Reddy's and OneSource Speciality said that it holds a licence from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation to manufacture 'semaglutide' drug, but it has no approval to sell it within India. The present production is solely for export to countries where Novo Nordisk's patent rights have expired, said Dr. Reddy's and OneSource Speciality.
Even such export activity constitutes infringement under the Patents Act, which grants the patentee exclusive rights over making, using and exporting the patented invention, said the Danish company. Dr Reddy's and OneSource Speciality says there is an exemption in the Patents which protects certain forms of manufacture and export undertaken for regulatory purposes or for lawful commercial supply in markets where the patent does not apply.
Tuesday, the shares of Dr. Reddy's Laboratories ended 1.2% higher at INR 1,275.20 and shares of OneSource Speciality Pharma ended 0.9% higher at INR 1,627.00. End
Reported by Surya Tripathi
Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury
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