The global weight-loss treatment market has not had it so good in ages. From a ‘class’ drug priced at a prohibitive ₹10,000 a month and above, the jab’s cost dropped by as much as 70-90 percent in a day, potentially making it massy. It all happened on March 21, a day after Danish pharma major Novo Nordisk’s patent protection for its blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss drug, Semaglutide, expired in India. The domestic industry, which specialises in low-cost knock-offs, populated the market quickly with its generic variants. Initially marketed by innovator Nordisk as an active pharma ingredient for managing Type 2 diabetes, Semaglutide later became popular as a tool to control obesity. For example, Semaglutide is the core ingredient in Ozempic, one of Nordisk’s flagship products for diabetes. It costs between ₹8,800 and ₹11,175 a month, while Nordisk’s weight-loss Wegovy is available for ₹10,850-₹16,400 a month. In contrast, Indian generic variants are enticingly priced between ₹1,300 and ₹4,000 a month. At least 40 Indian firms are expected to flood global markets with their generics, vying for a slice of the aspirational, affordable drug market.
The domestic demand could be huge: a 2025 study estimated 101 million Indians with Type 2 diabetes and 136 million with pre-diabetes. Add the global obesity epidemic, and the potential market is enormous. Known as the pharma capital of the world, India accounts for around 20 percent of the global generic sector.
Yet, Semaglutide is not a simple ‘lifestyle’ booster. It is a prescription drug that mimics the hormone GLP-1, regulating appetite and blood sugar. It has documented side effects, including nausea, diarrhoea, constipation and abdominal pain. Cheap and widespread access, in the absence of proper medical guidance and monitoring, could lead to misuse or over-reliance, especially among people looking for quick fixes instead of lasting health improvements. It should not be sold as an over-the-counter drug; rather, a comprehensive patient guidance programme highlighting its side effects, with support every step of the way through the treatment period, is how it ought to be administered. On a lighter note, Air India’s cabin crew, recently ordered to shape up or ship out, could queue up for the generic jab. But expecting policemen with a rounded midsection to follow suit might be too optimistic.