Novo Nordisk brings blockbuster weight-loss drug Ozempic to India

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk on Friday launched its blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic in India, stepping up its push in the world’s most populous country as demand for treatments for diabetes and weight loss continues to rise.

The drug will be available in three strengths -- 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg -- following its launch in the country.

Novo Nordisk has set the price of Ozempic’s lowest 0.25 mg dose at ₹2,200 per week in India, or ₹8,800 per month. The 0.5 mg dose has been priced at ₹10,170 per month, while the highest 1 mg dose will cost ₹11,175 per month.


Novo Nordisk received regulatory approval in September to import and sell the drug in the country.

India has the second-highest number of people living with type 2 diabetes after China, alongside rapidly increasing obesity rates, making it a key battleground for global drugmakers competing for a share of the fast-growing weight-loss market. Analysts cited by Reuters estimate the global market could be worth as much as $150 billion annually by the end of the decade.

Ozempic, a once-weekly injectable approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2017 for type 2 diabetes, has become a global bestseller. Although approved for diabetes, the drug is widely used off-label for weight loss because of its appetite-suppressing effects. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, which contains the same active ingredient semaglutide, is approved specifically for weight loss.