In India, generics of Wegovy are being launched at about one-eighth the price. The industry is watching what impact this will have on the global obesity drug market.
According to Reuters and other foreign media on the 22nd (local time), Indian pharmaceutical company Eris Lifesciences recently introduced a Wegovy generic under its diabetes drug brand "Sunday." The price is 1,290 rupees (20,700 won) per month for the lowest dose of 2 mg. That is 12% of the price of Wegovy.
Pharmaceutical company Dr. Reddy's Laboratories also unveiled the Wegovy generic Obeda. Market research firm Pharmarak projected that this year alone in India, 42 pharmaceutical companies will launch more than 50 Wegovy generic brands.
Wegovy is an obesity treatment developed by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. It mimics the glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 hormone secreted from the small intestine after meals. It suppresses appetite in the brain and slows the rate at which food moves out of the stomach to increase satiety.
In India, with the expiration of the patent on Wegovy's main ingredient, generics are expected to be launched at prices discounted by at least 50%–60%. Some analysts say access to obesity treatments will improve. Nadeem Rais, an endocrinologist in Mumbai, India, told AFP, "If generics are launched, the number of patients may increase."