Sun Pharma receives regulatory approval to sell generic Wegovy in India

Sun Pharma said it will launch generic semaglutide in India after the patent expiry in March 2026, becoming the second domestic drugmaker to secure regulatory approval for the blockbuster drug

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, India's top drugmaker by revenue, ‍said on ​Friday it has received regulatory approval to manufacture and sell the generic version of blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy in the country.

The drugmaker will launch generic ​semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, in India under the brand name Noveltreat, once the semaglutide patent expires in March 2026. 

Indian generic manufacturers are racing to enter the booming weight-loss market ahead of the patent expiry.

Sun Pharma is the second Indian drugmaker to receive regulatory nod for generic ‌semaglutide, following Dr Reddy's Laboratories, ​which earlier this week said it got an approval to manufacture and sell the generic version of ‍blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic.

Ozempic and Wegovy share the same active ingredient ‍semaglutide, though ‌the former ​is used off-label ‍for weight loss due to its appetite-suppressing ‍effects.