India’s drugmakers shake up global weight loss market with cheaper alternatives
Generic versions are slashing treatment costs by as much as 70 per cent in some cases.
Analysts say a surge in lower-cost alternatives could widen access for millions of patients and potentially drive down prices worldwide.
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NEW DELHI: India’s drugmakers are moving quickly into the booming global market for weight loss drugs, after local patent protection for semaglutide – the active ingredient in blockbuster treatments like Ozempic and Wegovy – ended.
Semaglutide belongs to a class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, which help regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite – making them highly effective for both diabetes management and weight loss.
Generic versions are slashing treatment costs by as much as 70 per cent in some cases.
Analysts say a surge in lower-cost alternatives could widen access for millions of patients and potentially drive down prices worldwide.
However, questions remain over appropriate use and long-term effects.
WEIGHING TREATMENT CHOICES
For 53-year-old IT engineer Sankari Roy, the shift could be significant.
After being diagnosed with high blood sugar, she considered weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. But at up to US$400 a month, the cost was prohibitive.
Now, more affordable alternatives could provide her a new lifeline.
“If I have like one or two doses, maybe it would help and I can see some quick benefit out of it,” she said, adding that she is weighing whether to begin treatment.
But for Roy’s family, affordability is only part of the equation.
Her son, Aarman, has reservations about the safety of these drugs.
“You don't know how it will map out in your body or if it has long-term effects, which is something that I worry about,” he said.
Their concerns echo a broader dilemma facing India, where doctors warn of a growing “diabesity” crisis – a dual burden of diabetes and obesity driven by sedentary lifestyles and poor diets.
More than 300 million Indians – about one in four – are estimated to be overweight or obese, while around 90 million are living with diabetes.
Historically, access to GLP-1 treatments has been limited by high costs.
But that may now change rapidly, as these medicines become more widely available and far more affordable.
At least half a dozen Indian pharmaceutical companies have launched generic semaglutide products, with distribution expanding from online platforms to neighbourhood pharmacies.
The surge in availability has already driven up demand.
Dr Manuj Sondhi, a senior consultant physician and diabetologist at Nirvana Clinic, said interest has spiked not only among patients with medical needs, but also those seeking weight loss for cosmetic reasons.
The real benefit may be in preventing more serious diseases, he added.
“Obesity itself is a risk factor for a lot of metabolic issues. It can increase your cardiac risk, it can increase chances of hypertension and diabetes,” he noted.
“Treating obesity, especially in patients who have greater body mass index, these medications are going to be very useful.”
RISKS AND REGULATION
Still, the rapid rollout has raised regulatory concerns.
India’s drug regulator has stepped up inspections to curb unauthorised sales, while the health ministry warned that unsupervised use could lead to serious health risks.
The implications could extend far beyond India.
As more affordable versions enter the market, global prices may come under pressure, potentially improving access in lower- and middle-income countries.
The global obesity drug market is projected to exceed US$100 billion by the end of the decade, and Indian firms are positioning themselves as key suppliers.
Biplab Lenin, a partner specialising in pharmaceuticals, healthcare and life sciences at law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, said: “It's going to be Indian companies manufacturing these more and at an exponential rate.
“(They) should be in a position to supply to the world at large.”
