By Rishika Sadam
MUMBAI, Feb 25 (Reuters) – Indian drugmaker Dr Reddy’s Laboratories is likely to launch its generic semaglutide injection in the country in March under the brand name Obeda, according to two people familiar with the matter as well as images reviewed by Reuters.
Patent protection for semaglutide expires in India in March 2026, triggering a rush among Indian drugmakers to prepare lower-cost versions. The compound is the active ingredient in Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss drug Wegovy.
Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy’s has applied to trademark the Obeda brand and logo, a government filing showed.
“As semaglutide is yet to be officially launched, it would not be appropriate to refer to or publish any name as the brand name at this stage,” a Dr Reddy’s spokesperson said in an email.
The company did not respond to queries about whether Obeda will be used to treat diabetes or weight-loss.
India, the world’s most populous nation, has the most adults suffering from diabetes after China, according to the International Diabetes Federation. The South Asian country could have over 440 million overweight or obese people by 2050, a study published in The Lancet showed.
Dr Reddy’s plans to sell about 12 million injectable semaglutide pens in the first year and intends to price it competitively, potentially up to 60% below the branded product, Dr Reddy’s Co-Chairman and Managing Director G.V. Prasad told Reuters last week.
The company has regulatory approval to manufacture and sell a generic version of Ozempic and is awaiting clearance for a generic Wegovy, the company said earlier. While Ozempic is approved for diabetes, it is widely used off-label for weight-loss.
Novo Nordisk and U.S. rival Eli Lilly launched their diabetes and weight-loss drugs in India last year, with Lilly’s Mounjaro becoming the country’s top-selling drug by value.
“Everybody is going to launch, so we’ll have to figure out who will get market share,” Prasad said last week.
(Reporting by Rishika Sadam; Editing by Dhanya Skariachan and Janane Venkatraman)
