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India's cheap weight-loss drugs could reshape global obesity fight
6 hours ago
Soutik BiswasIndia correspondent
Bloomberg via Getty Images Five pens of weight-loss drug Wegovy jabs sit in an encased stand on a plinth in front of unidentifiable people sitting on chairs on a stage in front of a purple screen projection during a press conference for the launch of Wegovy in India, in Mumbai in June 2025.Bloomberg via Getty Images
Wegovy launched in India in 2025, but the patent on its core ingredient expires in the country this week
India could soon get a lot thinner - at least in theory.
On Friday the patent on semaglutide - the molecule behind Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic - expires in the country.
This will allow domestic pharmaceutical companies to release cheaper copies or generics, triggering a rush of competition that could slash prices by more than half and rapidly expand access for people in India, and eventually in other countries too.
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