Novo Nordisk launches weight loss drug Wegovy priced at ₹17,345 per month

Wegovy is a once-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1) indicated for weight management and reduction in risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in India.

The drug will be available in a pen-filled device in five doses—starting with 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg and a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg. The first three doses are priced at ₹4,336 for a single dose and ₹17,345 monthly, while the 1.7 mg dose is priced at ₹24,280 per month and the 2.4 mg at ₹26,015 monthly.

Also read: Ozempic, a patent challenge, and $25 bn race for India’s weight-loss drug market

Wegovy is a once-a-week injection that follows a monthly dosage cycle. It starts with the smallest dosage of 0.25 mg, and gradually increases to higher dosages every month. Once a patient is given the 1 mg dosage, the physician assesses the need to increase it further, maintain it, or reduce it, depending upon the outcome.

The drug is expected to be in pharmacies by the end of the month, Novo Nordisk India managing director Vikrant Shrotriya said on Tuesday.

The company’s launch comes months after rival Eli Lilly launched its weight loss injectable Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) in March 2025. Mounjaro is available in vials and is priced at ₹14,000 monthly for a 2.5 mg vial and ₹17,500 monthly for a 5 mg vial.

Novo Nordisk also faces the loss of patent protection for Semaglutide, the compound in Wegovy, in March 2026. Mint reported last week how several Indian drugmakers are gearing up to launch cheaper generic versions of the drug to cash in on India’s $25 billion weight loss market.

Also read: How Ozempic’s maker lost its grip on the obesity market it created

Despite competitor Eli Lilly's early mover advantage and future competition from cheaper generics, Shrotriya told Mint in an interview that Novo Nordisk is banking on its pen-filled device and insulin leadership in India to gain a strong market share.

“We have been servicing this market for such a long time…So we have earned that kind of reputation of being a trustworthy partner," Shrotriya said. “And that goes a long way to establish ourselves also in this new therapy area, which is obesity," he added.

Novo Nordisk holds over half the market share in India’s ₹4,400 crore insulin market.

Wegovy will be distributed in the Indian market in partnership with Abbott, which is also a distribution partner for Novo Nordisk’s other brands in the country.

Indian market potential

Shrotriya said that the company is looking at a pan-India launch for Wegovy and has ensured that it has the capacity to meet demand.

According to a 2023 Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study, India has 254 million people with generalised obesity and 351 million people with abdominal obesity.

Also read: Don't Use Mounjaro As A Way To Get Skinny: Dr Alexandra Sowa

According to Nuvama research, the weight loss market will be $25 billion in 2024 and could double by 2033. The Economic Times reported on Tuesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter, that the company is targeting $1 billion in sales from Wegovy in India over the next 5-7 years.

The high sales expectation just years after launch highlights the opportunity in the Indian market for drugs that are still covered under patents. Earlier, multinationals would not prioritize launching drugs in India, citing affordability as a criterion. Drugs like Wegovy could well change that.