Novo Nordisk (NVO.US) Wegovy diet pills land in India, months behind Eli Lilly's entry

The Zhitong Finance App learned that after falling behind competitor LY.US (LLY.US) for several months, Danish pharmaceutical giant NVO.US (NVO.US) has finally entered India, the world's most populous country. Novo Nordisk said it will sell its best-selling weight loss drug Wegovy in India. The drug has been approved in India for long-term chronic weight management and risk reduction of major cardiovascular adverse events. As of press release, Novo Nordisk's US stocks rose more than 2% before the market on Tuesday.

Novo Nordisk said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the drug, which is injected once a week (its active ingredient is simeglutide), will be sold in five doses. Vikrant Shrotriya, managing director of Novo Nordisk India, said that the current pricing is “India's exclusive pricing”. The price for the starting dose of 0.25 mg was 4336.25 rupees (about 50.3 US dollars), while the price for the highest dose of 2.4 mg was 6503.75 rupees.

Although Wegovy's 2.4 mg dose costs less than a quarter of its $337.25 price in the US, it is almost double that of Eli Lilly's weight loss drug Mounjaro (2.5 mg minimum dose) — the latter has been on sale in India since March this year and costs 3,500 rupees.

Obesity among India's adult population is expected to rise to 11% by 2035, according to the latest data from the World Obesity Federation. This huge health demand is attracting multinational pharmaceutical companies to compete for layout. Novo Nordisk's entry will provide Indian consumers with more weight loss treatment options. Previously, such products relied mostly on grey markets.

The launch of Wegovy also followed the American College of Cardiology (American College of Cardiology)'s proposal on Friday to use simeglutide as a first-line treatment for cardiovascular disease. According to “The Lancet” magazine, heart disease is the leading cause of death and disability in India, and obesity is linked to more than 200 diseases, including cardiovascular events, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Vikrant Shrotriya said, “We are leading the way in obtaining cardiovascular labeling and multiple other indications. Wegovy is a drug that goes beyond weight loss.”

Vikrant Shrotriya said Novo Nordisk is importing all Wegovy products and is focused on ensuring a “continuous supply” of the drug. Previously, Novo Nordisk's oral diabetes drug Rybelsus was also used by patients in India to lose weight. The drug was marketed in India in 2022 and contains the same ingredients as Wegovy and Ozempic, but the efficacy is thought to be lower than the injectable form.

Vikrant Shrotriya said Novo Nordisk is willing to cooperate with insurance companies and financial institutions to improve the affordability and accessibility of the drug, and will consider establishing partnerships with local companies in the future to further promote the product.

Since Lilly launched Mounjaro in India earlier this year, sales have increased 60% month-on-month in May, according to data from market analysis company Pharmarack Technologies. The company said the number of patients using the drug may have doubled, reflecting India's strong interest in this type of treatment.

Novo Nordisk is expected to receive a similar market response. Vikrant Shrotriya said Novo Nordisk is working to distribute drugs through “the right channels” to ensure that the drugs are actually used for patients in need of treatment and avoid being used for purely cosmetic purposes. He also said that the demand for this type of drug is higher in urban areas due to the nature of the disease.

Novo Nordisk is also planning to launch its next-generation anti-obesity drug candidates Cagrisema and AmyCretin in India. Currently, these drugs are still in clinical trials. Vikrant Shrotriya said, “We are also working hard to secure the market for future generations of products.”

Additionally, Vikrant Shrotriya indicated that Novo Nordisk's simeglutide patent will expire in the early second quarter of 2026. A generic drug manufacturer in India is awaiting the expiration of this patent in order to launch a range of weight loss treatments. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries is developing its own weight loss formula, while Cipla and Dr. Companies such as Reddy's Labs are also developing knockoff versions.