Novo Nordisk slashes weight-loss drug Wegovy’s prices as competition heats up

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk on Tuesday announced that it has reduced the price of its weight loss drug Wegovy in India. The monthly price of the once-a-week injection will now be 37 percent cheaper, the company said. ₹10,850 for starting dose ₹17,345 previously.

The announcement comes as the Danish drugmaker struggles to gain a significant market share in the Indian market before losing its patent exclusivity in March. As the drug loses its patent, many Indian generic drug manufacturers like Dr Reddy’s, Sun Pharma, Mankind Pharma, Natco are preparing to enter the market with lower priced versions.

Wegovy (semaglutide) was launched in India in June 2025 as a once-weekly pen device in five dose strengths: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg. Weekly dose price dropped ₹From 2,712 ₹4,336.

Revised monthly price for 0.5 mg and 1 mg doses: ₹13,850, the cost of the last two doses ₹16,400 each.

Novo’s move will increase pressure on domestic players to further reduce their overall costs to remain competitive. This is similar to the US market, where big-market drugs that can attract branded competition often fall in price without losing market exclusivity.

“Obesity is a serious concern for India and this price revision underscores our mission to provide Indians with quality obesity treatment that is effective, safe, convenient and sustainable in their daily lives,” Novo Nordisk India managing director Vikrant Shrotriya said in a statement.

Novo Nordisk on Monday announced an exclusive partnership with Pune-based Emcure Pharmaceuticals to distribute the weight-loss drug as a 2.4 mg weekly injection under the brand name Poviztra. While the two companies did not disclose pricing or launch timing, they said they would be “very competitive” in pricing. The idea behind the partnership is to increase Novo Nordisk’s access to markets it may not have been able to reach.

While Novo Nordisk faces a new challenge in generics, it is also battling rival Eli Lilly, which has captured a significant share of India’s weight-loss drug market with its drug Mounjaro.

In October, Mounjaro became the country’s best-selling brand. ₹100 crore sales. Lilly launched Mounjaro in India in late March 2025. Price of the drug ₹14,000 per month for the 2.5 mg dose, ₹27,500 for a 15 mg dose.

According to data from pharmaceutical intelligence platform Pharmarack, Mounjaro continued to outperform Wegovy; the former’s monthly sales were almost 10 times Wegovy’s as of October.