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Informist, Tuesday, Apr. 7, 2026

By Gunjan Rajput 

 

NEW DELHI – Demand for semaglutide-based weight-loss drugs remained muted despite pharmaceutical companies offering some versions priced up to 90% lower with the entry of generics into the market. Even as Novo Nordisk, the drug innovator, cut prices amid market competition, pharmacies report that enquiries and sales remain largely prescription-based.

 

"Generics are now available, but demand is still very limited. We get only one or two enquiries, and most sales continue to be on demand," a Delhi-based pharmacist said. Cheaper options from companies such as Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Alkem Laboratories Ltd., and Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd. are now available, but uptake is still slow, the pharmacist said. Uptake is unlikely to pick up meaningfully until doctors increase prescriptions, the pharmacist added.

 

Before the launch of cheaper alternatives, pharmacies sold around 15–20 injections a month, but volumes have now fallen to 2–3 units, reflecting tighter regulations and cautious adoption. Pharmacists said the semaglutide-based drug is typically procured for sales only on pre-orders. "We do not keep stock of these injections as they require cold storage. We procure them (injections) only when the demand for the drug is confirmed," another pharmacist said.

 

On Mar. 10, the government issued an advisory prohibiting surrogate advertising and warning against the unauthorised sale of glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs for type-2 diabetes and obesity, citing potential health risks.

 

Since March, around 10 companies have launched glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs, including semaglutide, with monthly treatment costs typically ranging from INR 1,800 to INR 5,200, significantly lower than treatment with the innovator Novo Nordisk product, which previously cost over INR 10,000.

 

Following patent expiry, Novo Nordisk has reduced the prices of its semaglutide brands Ozempic by up to 36% and Wegovy by up to 48%, with monthly treatment now costing about INR 5,660–INR 9,100, depending on dosage, effective Apr. 1.

 

The semaglutide market in India is expected to grow to over INR 120 billion by 2031, Nomura Financial Advisory and Securities India Pvt. Ltd. said in a report, with prices likely to decline further and volumes gradually increasing over time.  End

 

Edited by Saji George Titus

 

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