Pharma & biotech
Novo Nordisk and compounders face a sluggish Indian GLP market
Last year, the brokerage firm Nomura estimated that GLP-1 drugs would generate USD 261m in revenue in India by 2026
MARKETWIRE
31 August 2026at 10:14
The market for GLP-1 medications and generics of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide for type 2 diabetes and severe obesity has not developed nearly as favorably as expected in India
Novo’s patent on semaglutide—which is an ingredient in the type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic and the weight-loss drug Wegovy—expired in India in March, and since then, more than 30 generic versions have entered the Indian market
But despite prices as low as USD 14 per month and the world’s largest population of obese people, weight-loss drugs continue to struggle to gain traction
This is due, in part, to the stigma surrounding severe obesity and the fear of being ridiculed if one seeks treatment, Bloomberg reports. Economic and cultural factors also play a role
Last year, the investment bank Nomura estimated that GLP-1 drugs would reach USD 261m in sales in India by 2026
However, sales of GLP-1 drugs through July have amounted to only about 20% of that figure
According to Bloomberg, sales of these drugs have also begun to level off in recent months
Novo itself has declined to comment on the information to the news agency, which reports, however, that an executiveout this trend
In addition to the Indian market, Novo’s semaglutide molecule has also lost patent protection this year in China, Brazil, Canada, Turkey, and South Africa. In Europe and the US, the patent remains in effect until 2031 and 2032, respectively
