Rediff: weight-loss drug sales surge

Rediff reported on May 16 that sales of weight-loss drugs are climbing globally as branded drugmakers hold on to revenue and lower-cost generic semaglutide spreads across more markets. The report cited rising generic availability and lower prices as the main drivers of volume growth. India has become one of the clearest early tests of that shift after semaglutide lost patent protection there in March. Market data and company launch prices show the category is expanding even as competition intensifies. ### Where is the clearest evidence that cheaper copies are changing the market? India offers the most concrete recent example. Rediff reported on March 16 that GLP-1 drugs such as tirzepatide and semaglutide drove a 177% rise in category sales to 1,446 crore rupees on a moving annual turnover basis in February 2026, up from 571 crore rupees a year earlier. Semaglutide-based drugs accounted for 445 crore rupees of that total, while Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide products led revenue with 882 crore rupees in sales within 11 months of launch. (rediff.com) March 20, 2026 marked a key change in India and Canada, where semaglutide patent protection expired, according to Rediff and IQVIA. That opened the door to generic and branded-generic launches in countries that together account for a large share of the world’s obesity burden, IQVIA said. IQVIA wrote in 2025 that countries going off-patent in 2026 include India, Canada, China, Brazil and Turkey, representing about 33% of adults living with obesity worldwide. (rediff.com) ### How much cheaper are the new semaglutide products? Mint reported on March 21 that Indian drugmakers including Dr Reddy’s, Sun Pharma and Zydus launched generic semaglutide a day after patent expiry at prices 50% to 90% below innovator brands. Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy were priced at about 8,800 rupees and 10,850 rupees per month for starting doses, Mint reported. New generic prices ranged from about 1,300 rupees a month for some vial formats to more than 4,000 rupees for pen devices. (rediff.com) Dr Reddy’s priced its Obeda pen at 4,200 rupees per month for certain doses, while Sun Pharma set monthly prices for Noveltreat and Sematrinity at roughly 3,600 rupees and 3,000 rupees for lower doses, Mint reported. Zydus Lifesciences priced three brands at an average treatment cost of about 2,200 rupees per month. Those price gaps help explain why generic volumes can grow even when branded manufacturers continue to post revenue. (livemint.com) ### Are branded products still selling, or are generics replacing them outright? Novo Nordisk’s brands are still selling in India, but the mix is changing. Moneycontrol reported on May 12 that generic semaglutide brands had overtaken Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy in volumes within weeks of patent expiry. Novo’s brands were still generating about 7.4 crore rupees and 12.9 crore rupees in sales, respectively, according to that report. (livemint.com) April sales figures cited by Moneycontrol showed Torrent’s Semalix at about 10.5 crore rupees and Sembolic at about 6.2 crore rupees, with Zydus’ Semaglyn and Lupin’s Semanext each contributing more than 3.5 crore rupees. Rediff’s May 16 report said innovators had “more or less” held their revenue even as generics posted “exponential growth” because of affordability. (moneycontrol.com) ### Why are more countries watching this now? IQVIA said in August 2025 that semaglutide would remain under patent in many countries until the early 2030s, but would lose exclusivity in several large markets starting in 2026. The firm said India, China and other manufacturing-heavy markets were likely to see intense competition as domestic companies prepared local and export plans. (moneycontrol.com) Rediff reported on March 24 that an Indian court ruling allowed Dr Reddy’s Laboratories to continue manufacturing semaglutide for markets where Novo Nordisk does not hold patent protection. That decision, combined with India’s own patent expiry, created a pathway for both domestic sales and exports into selected jurisdictions. ### What comes next in this market? (iqvia.com) More launches are already in motion. Rediff reported in March that more than 50 semaglutide-based branded generics were expected to enter India after patent expiry, and IQVIA said more than 10 companies had filed Subject Expert Committee submissions there, including seven focused on oral semaglutide. May 2026 sales data from India and regulatory filings in additional markets will be the next concrete markers to watch. (rediff.com) Named participants in that next phase include Novo Nordisk, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Sun Pharma, Zydus Lifesciences, Torrent Pharmaceuticals and Lupin as they expand pricing, distribution and, in some cases, obesity-specific approvals. (livemint.com) (rediff.com)