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Novo Nordisk Launches Breakthrough Obesity Drug Wegovy in India Amid Rising Weight Management Demand

Wegovy, based on semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, will be available in five dosage strengths—0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, and 2.4 mg—following clinical trials involving over 3,000 Indian participants.

• By Newsdesk
• New Delhi
• Jun 25, 2025

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In a major move poised to reshape India’s obesity treatment landscape, Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has officially launched its blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy in the country. The launch comes four years after the drug’s approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and shortly after rival Eli Lilly introduced its competing therapy, Mounjaro (tirzepatide), in India.

Wegovy, based on semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, will be available in five dosage strengths—0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, and 2.4 mg—following clinical trials involving over 3,000 Indian participants. The company hopes the therapy will help address India’s growing obesity crisis, where over 40% of adults are classified as overweight or obese.

According to Vikrant Shrotriya, Managing Director and Corporate Vice President of Novo Nordisk India, the decision to launch Wegovy over the injectable version of Ozempic (also semaglutide-based, for diabetes) was strategic. It complements the company’s existing diabetes portfolio, which already includes oral semaglutide, introduced in 2022 and widely adopted by Indian patients due to a preference for oral medications.

“Three out of four diabetes patients in India prefer oral therapies, and our experience with oral semaglutide has been encouraging,” said Shrotriya. “With Wegovy, we’re extending our offering to support long-term weight management, which is a pressing need.”

The company is confident in Wegovy’s clinical performance. Shrotriya cited that around one in three patients on Wegovy achieved 20% or more weight loss, underscoring its efficacy. While newer molecules like tirzepatide have set higher benchmarks—Mounjaro, for instance, showed weight loss of up to 15.3% in 12 months, compared to Ozempic’s 8.3%—Novo Nordisk is continuing to study higher oral doses of semaglutide for weight loss, in addition to its existing diabetes applications.

Acknowledging Eli Lilly’s recent head start with Mounjaro, Shrotriya called it “coincidental” and welcomed the competition, stating it would ultimately benefit patients.

Industry analysts, however, note that as India becomes a key battleground in the GLP-1 therapy market, Novo Nordisk will need to differentiate aggressively—whether through pricing, accessibility, or targeted clinical messaging—to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving space.

With the launch of Wegovy, India joins a growing list of countries adopting GLP-1-based treatments not just for diabetes, but for chronic weight management—a shift that could redefine how metabolic health is approached in one of the world’s most populous and health-challenged nations.