Emcure Cuts Price of Semaglutide-Containing Weight Loss Drug Poviztra Following Novo Nordisk Patent Expiry

India's Pharmaceutical Market Sees Major Price Cut for Weight Management Drug

Emcure Pharmaceuticals has announced a significant price reduction for its weight management drug, Poviztra, a semaglutide injection, in an effort to make obesity treatment more affordable for patients. The starting dose of Poviztra will now be priced at ₹3,999 per month, a decrease from the previous price of ₹8,790. Additionally, prices across higher doses have been reduced by an average of 47%. The revised rates will take effect from 3 April 2026.

The price cut comes just weeks after semaglutide, the molecule behind Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, lost its patent protection in India. This has triggered a wave of launches by domestic pharmaceutical companies, releasing cheaper copies or generics, and leading to a cut in the drugs' prices by more than half.

According to an investment bank, Jefferies, this development could be a "magic-pill moment" for India, with the semaglutide market potentially reaching $1 billion domestically with the right pricing and uptake.

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The price revision is expected to bring the innovator molecule, backed by robust clinical and real-world evidence, within the reach of a significantly larger patient base across the country. According to Emcure Pharmaceuticals, the revised pricing of Poviztra is a step towards making scientifically validated weight-management therapies more accessible and affordable to a wider patient base.

India's pharmaceutical industry is currently worth around $60 billion and is expected to double in size by 2030, driven by the country's strong generic drug manufacturing. The intense competition around semaglutide, a drug used for weight loss and diabetes treatment, is expected to lead to a wider adoption of the treatment, as prices fall and more Indian companies enter the market.