Sun Pharma gets nod to make generic Wegovy

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd has received the Drugs Controller General of India's (DCGI) approval to make and market a generic version of semaglutide injection for weight management, it said on Friday, sharing its plans to launch it in March once the drug’s patent expires.

The product will be sold in five doses, similar to the innovator Novo Nordisk’s drug Wegovy, under the brand name Noveltreat.

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, indicated for chronic weight management in adults. The drug loses patent exclusivity in India in March, and several generic drugmakers are preparing to launch their versions.

On 21 January, rival Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd's management told reporters they have also received regulatory approval, and are aiming for 12 million pens in the first year.

Sun Pharma also received regulatory approval in December 2025 to manufacture and market semaglutide for the treatment of type-2 diabetes, and plans to launch it under the brand name Sematrinity. Novo Nordisk sells semaglutide injections to treat type-2 diabetes under the brand name Ozempic.

“Noveltreat meets global quality standards and is supported by robust Indian clinical evidence on efficacy and safety for weight management. As India’s largest pharmaceutical company with leadership in cardiometabolic therapies, we are committed to improving access to generic semaglutide across the country after the patent expiry," said Kirti Ganorkar, managing director, Sun Pharma.

So far, Sun Pharma, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, and Alkem Laboratories Ltd are the only Indian drugmakers that have received regulatory approval for generic semaglutide. Several other drugmakers are awaiting approvals and have expressed their intent to launch the drug as soon as March.

Sun Pharma and Dr Reddy’s have already started manufacturing and exporting generic semaglutide to non-patent markets after getting a nod from the Delhi high court in December.

Currently, Novo Nordisk sells Wegovy at ₹13,850 per month for the 0.5mg and 1mg doses, while the last two doses cost ₹16,400 each. American drug giant Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, which currently holds a lion’s share of the country’s weight-loss drug market, is priced at ₹14,000 a month for the 2.5mg dose, going up to ₹27,500 for the 15mg dose.