Dr Reddy’s pins hopes on semaglutide, but timely approvals hold the key
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd (DRL) received a shot in the arm on 2 December, when the Delhi High Court allowed it to export the weight-loss drug semaglutide, which is set to become patent-free in several countries including Canada, China and Brazil from January 2026. While the order restricts sales of semaglutide in India until it goes off-patent here in March, this window will help DRL prepare for the domestic launch.
The market for weight-loss drugs is currently dominated by Danish company Novo Nordisk, which holds the patent for semaglutide. However, it’s seeing significant action with the patent set to expire in several countries in the coming months. The court’s December order was in line with its interim order from May.
DRL now hopes to get approval for domestic sales from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), a step that the regulator’s subject expert committee recommended in September. Dr Reddy’s currently manufactures the drug in injectable form and is developing an oral version. “Overall, the current outcome is constructive for Dr.
Reddy's and One Source," read a JM Financial Institutional Securities report on 2 December. The order could open the door for early international revenues and strengthen its position in the growing semaglutide market, the report added. OneSource Specialty Pharma is a contract development and manufacturing organization that DRL is collaborating with to manufacture semaglutide.
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