Ozempic and Wegovy are injectable prescription weight-loss medicines made by Danish Pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk.UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesLast week’s expiry of the patent for semaglutide—the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster drugs that are used to treat both diabetes and obesity—unleashed a flurry of launches of low-cost generic versions by some of India’s biggest pharma companies. Billionaire Dilip Shanghvi’s Sun Pharmaceutical Industries introduced semaglutide pen injections under the brand names Noveltreat and Sematrinity. Noveltreat retails at roughly 3,600 rupees ($38.3) per month for the lowest dose, and Sematrinity at 3,000 rupees per month, less than half the cost of Ozempic and Wegovy.“With the launch of Noveltreat and Sematrinity, our endeavour is to provide a high-quality, affordable therapy to a wider patient community in India,” said Kirti Ganorkar, managing director of Sun Pharmaceutical in a statement. Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories—owned by billionaires Satish Reddy and G.V. Prasad—launched Obeda, a semaglutide injectable for the management of type 2 diabetes, for 4,200 rupees per month. Besides Obeda, Dr. Reddy’s is planning to build an integrated care ecosystem by setting up metabolic centres for advancing the treatment of diabetes and other metabolic disorders.Obeda reinforces the company’s vision of, “ensuring advanced diabetes treatments are not only available but affordable,” said Erez Israeli, CEO of Dr. Reddy’s, in a statement. According to a 2023 study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research over 100 million people in the country have diabetes. About 8% of India’s population are obese, estimates from the World Health Organization show.MORE FOR YOUTorrent Pharmaceuticals in Ahmedabad, controlled by billionaire brothers Sudhir and Samir Mehta, introduced both injectable and oral versions, branded as Sembolic and Semalix, and priced at 3,999 rupees per month. CEO Amal Kelshikar said that “Our entry into the GLP-1 therapy segment reflects Torrent’s commitment to expanding treatment options available to healthcare professionals managing complex metabolic conditions at affordable prices.”The three big players are part of a group of at least eight major drug manufacturers to have entered the market with semaglutide clones, according to Mumbai-based research firm Nuvama Wealth Management. “The market has already turned competitive on day-1,” Shrikant Akolkar, a research analyst at Nuvama, said in a statement. Nuvama estimates that as many as 40 companies could soon enter the fray.The raft of launches has caught the eye of Indian regulators, who are stepping up scrutiny of the new drugs. “With the recent introduction of multiple generic variants of weight-loss drugs in the Indian market, concerns have emerged regarding their on-demand availability through retail pharmacies, online platforms, wholesalers, and wellness clinics,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Tuesday. “These drugs, when used without proper medical supervision, may lead to serious adverse effects and related health risks.” The Ministry has also issued strictures against the promotion of these drugs prohibiting “surrogate advertisements and any form of indirect promotion that could mislead consumers or encourage off-label usage.”