Come April 1, 2026, the price of the starting dose of Ozempic will be reduced by 36 per cent, while that of Wegovy will be reduced by 48 per cent in India
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TOM LITTLE
Danish healthcare major Novo Nordisk has slashed prices for a second time in India on its blockbuster obesity drug Wegovy, besides dropping prices on its diabetes product Ozempic, as well, this time. The move comes a little over a week after a patent on semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) expired in markets including India.
Come April 1, 2026, the price of the starting dose of Ozempic will be reduced by 36 per cent, while that of Wegovy will be reduced by 48 per cent in India, the company said. There is also an average price reduction of 23.8 per cent for Ozempic and 27 per cent for Wegovy, across doses, it added.
Exceeding Predictions
“Diabetologists had an inkling of a possible price correction, but the actual price-cut has been higher than expectation,” a doctor told businessline.
The GLP-1 segment (the class to which this product belongs), has seen much activity since semaglutide went off patent protection on March 20. Several drugmakers including Natco, Glenmark, Sun Pharma, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Alkem , Zydus Lifesciences and Torrent Pharma, for instance, launched their generic versions at prices between 50 to 80 per cent less than the innovator price. The generics were launched in various delivery systems including vials with dosage-fixed syringes, pre-filled pens, reusable ones and an oral version.
Win-win Situation
But a price-cut from the innovator in seven days from patent-expiry sets a new precedent in terms of “proactively expanding excess”, instead of resisting the entry of generics and the dynamics that come with it, observes diabetologist Rajiv Kovil. The price-cut is a “conscious, responsible decision”, he says, that aligns the innovator molecule with patient affordability. Because, when the entry level price of the innovator is low and the difference is not much from the generic’s price – “that’s a win-win for the patient”, he says.
The innovator products, and its generic versions are prescription-only drugs, and the Indian drug regulatory authority had recently cautioned companies against misleading promotion of these products. Doctors have also stressed the importance of “patient selection” (understanding their medical history – for thyroid cancer, for example), besides red-flagging adverse events linked to these products – stomach-related problems, gastritis, pancreatitis, and loss of vision, for example.
Price Cuts
The starting doses of Ozempic (0.25 mg) and Wegovy (0.25 mg) in India, will now be at a daily price of ₹202 or a weekly price of ₹1,415 inclusive of taxes, Novo said. Last November, the company had taken a 37 per cent price-cut on its starting dose of Wegovy.
On the latest price-cut, Vikrant Shrotriya, Novo Nordisk India’s Managing Director, said in a statement, “By revising the price of our innovative treatments, we’re trying to make best-in-class cardiometabolic care more affordable for as many people with type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity in India as possible. We’ve heard from patients and doctors, and we’re acting on that feedback. The burden of diabetes, obesity and related complications is immense for India, and we aim to bend this curve with effective, safe, and time-tested solutions.”
Published on March 31, 2026
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