Zydus plans obesity jab launch in a novel pen device

Ahmedabad-based drugmaker Zydus Lifesciences plans to launch its brands of semaglutide injection once the drug’s patent expires in India. The drugmaker said it will launch the drug in a new, reusable, single-pen device. Zydus has exclusive rights to the device.

The Semaglutide patent will expire on March 20, 2026, and Drs. Many Indian drugmakers, including Reddy’s and Sun Pharma, are gearing up for Day One launches.

Zydus has received regulatory approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to market and manufacture semaglutide to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.

The drug will be launched under the brand names Semaglyn, Mashema and Alterme, the company said Wednesday.

Although the company did not share its pricing strategy, it said the single-pen device would lower the overall cost of treatment by allowing patients to administer varying dosages from the same device.

“A critical differentiator of Zydus’ semaglutide offering will be its novel, indigenously developed drug delivery system. Unlike existing treatments that require patients to purchase multiple single-dose pens when titrating their dosage, Zydus plans to offer an innovative, adjustable single-pen device,” the company said.

Intensifying race

The announcement comes at a time when competition is intensifying among pharmaceutical manufacturers to gain an advantage in the lucrative market. Earlier this week, Eris Lifesciences and Natco Pharma announced a partnership to commercialize semaglutide.

Cipla and Emcure also announced distribution agreements with innovative Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. Sun Pharma and Dr. Reddy’s, on the other hand, started exporting the drug to non-patented markets after receiving the approval of the Delhi High Court, and they plan to launch the drug in India once the patent expires.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs such as semaglutide have already been crossed ₹1,000 crore sales in less than a year after launches in India. It is currently dominated by innovative drugs Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic, but the entry of lower-priced generic versions of semaglutide is expected to expand the market further.