Novo Nordisk India execs urge early Wegovy launch as weight-loss rival looms

Novo Nordisk’s team in India has been pushing the Danish drugmaker’s global leadership for an earlier launch of its popular weight-loss drug Wegovy over fears of falling behind rival Eli Lilly in the potentially huge market, two sources familiar with the plans told Reuters.
Officials at the Danish drugmaker have said Wegovy might be introduced in India in 2026 once regulatory approvals are in hand and there is sufficient supply. More recently, Novo’s India team proposed moving the launch to next year, around the same time Lilly is expected to introduce its weight-loss drug Mounjaro.
In a closed-door meeting at Novo’s Denmark headquarters about two months ago, the India team raised concerns that the company could lag behind Lilly in the domestic market if Wegovy was not launched early, said one of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Novo declined to comment on internal discussions and Reuters could not determine what response the India-based executives received.
Wegovy and Novo’s diabetes drug Ozempic, which has the same main ingredient, and Mounjaro, belong to a class of therapies known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that help control blood sugar and slow digestion, making people feel fuller for longer.
Source: Indiatimes