Sun Pharma Gets DCGI Nod for Generic Wegovy, Set for March Launch as Semaglutide Patent Nears Expiry

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, India’s largest drugmaker by revenue, said on Friday it has received regulatory clearance from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to manufacture and market generic semaglutide injection for chronic weight management — a development that intensifies India’s race to launch affordable versions of Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster obesity drug Wegovy.

Sun Pharma said it will introduce the product under the brand name Noveltreat, with commercial rollout planned after the semaglutide patent expires in India in March 2026.

Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s best-selling GLP-1 therapies Wegovy (weight loss) and Ozempic (Type 2 diabetes), and the upcoming patent expiry is expected to open the door for multiple Indian drugmakers to enter the fast-growing market with lower-cost alternatives.

India’s obesity-drug race intensifies

Sun Pharma becomes the second Indian company, after Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, to secure regulatory approval for generic semaglutide, highlighting how quickly India’s pharmaceutical industry is moving to capture the GLP-1 opportunity.

The approvals come as the global weight-loss drug market is projected to surge sharply this decade, with analysts widely expecting aggressive pricing by generics to expand access and pressure innovator pricing.

Dose strengths and delivery

Sun Pharma said Noveltreat will be offered in multiple dose strengths aligned with global semaglutide weight-loss protocols, including:

0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg

The product will be administered as a once-weekly injection.

Patent and legal backdrop

Sun’s approval follows ongoing patent litigation involving Indian drugmakers and Novo Nordisk.

In a key interim order, the Delhi High Court had previously allowed Sun Pharma to manufacture semaglutide for export while restraining domestic sales until the relevant patent period ends in March 2026.

Sun’s broader semaglutide play

Alongside Noveltreat for obesity, Sun Pharma is also preparing to launch a generic diabetes version under the brand Sematrinity, which it said received regulatory approval in December 2025.

Together, these products position Sun to compete across both:

• chronic weight management
• Type 2 diabetes therapy

— two markets increasingly converging in clinical practice.

Market impact: affordability could expand access

While official pricing has not been announced, the entry of Indian generics is expected to reduce costs significantly.

Analysts estimate generic semaglutide could enter India at steep discounts compared to imported innovator products, potentially widening adoption beyond metro-focused private prescriptions and moving toward mass-market metabolic care.

Why This Matters

1. India is entering the global GLP-1 drug era
   Semaglutide generics could reshape obesity and diabetes treatment access at scale.
2. A huge new profit pool for Indian pharma
   Weight-loss drugs are among the fastest-growing therapeutic categories worldwide.
3. Pricing disruption is coming
   Generics typically enter at sharp discounts, putting pressure on branded Wegovy/Ozempic pricing.
4. Healthcare spending impact
   If adoption scales, GLP-1 therapies can also influence diabetes complications and long-term health costs.

Summary

Sun Pharma has received DCGI approval to manufacture and market generic semaglutide for chronic weight management, to be sold under the brand Noveltreat after patent expiry in March 2026. The company is the second Indian drugmaker after Dr Reddy’s to secure such approval, and is also preparing a diabetes-focused semaglutide brand Sematrinity, approved in December 2025.

FAQs

Q1: What did Sun Pharma receive approval for?

DCGI approval to manufacture and market generic semaglutide injection for chronic weight management.

Q2: What will the product be called in India?

Sun Pharma will market it under the brand name Noveltreat.

Q3: When will Noveltreat launch?

After the semaglutide patent expires in India in March 2026.

Q4: Is Sun Pharma the first mover?

No — Sun is the second Indian drugmaker after Dr Reddy’s to receive regulatory approval for generic semaglutide.

Q5: What is Sematrinity?

Sun Pharma’s diabetes-focused generic semaglutide brand, which received DCGI approval in December 2025.