Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has launched its anti-obesity drug Wegovy in India, targeting both urban and rural markets with all five available dose strengths.

The launch marked a significant expansion in the company’s semaglutide portfolio, which already includes the widely prescribed Ozempic for diabetes treatment in global markets.

Wegovy, which will be available in a once-weekly innovative pen device, is priced between Rs 17,345 and Rs 26,050 per month.

The injectable formulation will be offered in 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg and a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg.

Semaglutide — the active ingredient in both Ozempic and Wegovy — was introduced in India in oral form in 2022 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

While Ozempic is yet to be launched in India, Wegovy is being introduced for long-term weight management and for reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with established cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight.

Novo Nordisk India Managing Director Vikrant Shrotriya described the launch as part of the company’s "power game" and one of the top anticipated introductions in the Indian pharmaceutical sector.

“We are not chasing any numbers in India. What we are chasing is how to really create awareness among patients, healthcare professionals and also work and collaborate with them in terms of bringing access to the product much faster,” he told PTI.

Wegovy works by targeting areas of the brain involved in appetite control, reducing hunger, increasing satiety and decreasing food cravings — all of which contribute to weight loss.

It also improves insulin resistance and reduces the risk of cardiometabolic events.

India has the third-largest population of individuals living with overweight and obesity, with an estimated 254 million people affected. 351 million Indians suffer from abdominal obesity, according a INDIAB study.

"People have started understanding that obesity needs to be arrested. It is the gateway to many disorders in India or across the world...We feel very strong about launching in India," Shrotriya said.

The company is making Wegovy available unrestricted and has obtained all necessary regulatory approvals to market and distribute the product.

Novo Nordisk will import Wegovy from Denmark and claims the pricing has been tailored to Indian market needs.

“We have an India-specific price with the benefit of the same price for the first three dosing strengths,” said Shrotriya.

He added that the company is open to partnerships with healthcare providers, clinics, hospitals, doctors and state governments to combat what it calls a national epidemic.

The economic burden of obesity is projected to take a toll of 1.59 per cent on India’s GDP by 2030, rising to an estimated 2.5 per cent by 2050–2060.

But Wegovy’s global roll-out has not been without controversy.

Months after Novo Nordisk partnered with American digital health platform Hims & Hers, the two firms have severed ties.

Novo accused Hims of “deceptive promotion and selling of illegitimate, knockoff versions of Wegovy that put patient safety at risk.”

Before the alliance, Hims had been offering compounded versions of weight-loss drugs through its platform — a practice that raised regulatory and ethical concerns.

Although the company never clarified whether it would cease selling these versions after partnering with Novo, it went on to announce plans to acquire European digital health company Zava, which also provides Wegovy and other weight management drugs.

In a statement on Monday, Novo confirmed that Hims would no longer have access to Wegovy through its NovoCare Pharmacy.

It cited continued “illegal sham compounding” and misleading marketing by Hims, involving semaglutide sourced from foreign suppliers not inspected by the US FDA. Some of these suppliers had prior citations for quality violations.

Following the public split, shares of Hims & Hers fell by over 31 per cent on June 23.

As for the Indian market, Novo Nordisk is confident in its strategy and brand reliability.

“Despite having insulin from many companies in India, every second patient takes Novo Nordisk insulin because we have got the medicine and we have got the delivery devices,” said Shrotriya.

He acknowledged the upcoming patent expiry of semaglutide next year but welcomed the prospect of competition. “I feel many more players are required to address the need,” he said.

With inputs from PTI & Reuters