Drugmaker Lupin aims to be part of the first wave of generic drugmakers to make GLP-1 receptor agonists products, used to treat Type II diabetes and obesity, Lupin top-brass said.

This segment of products includes semaglutide, the internationally popular weight-loss product from Novo Nordisk sold as Ozempic — poised to go off patent protection in some markets in 2026.

In-house capability

The company aims to be part of the first wave of generics on GLP-1 products and hopes to launch the first of these in 2026, Lupin’s Managing Director Nilesh Gupta told analysts. Lupin’s strategy in India and other emerging markets would be a mix of developing the product internally and licensing it, as the case may be, he said. The company has in-house capabilities to develop and manufacture the product, Nilesh said, adding that a clear strategy would play out next year.

The regions open for GLP-1 launches, following patent expiry, included India, South Africa, Latin America, Philippines and parts of Eastern Europe , said Vinita Gupta, Lupin Chief Executive Officer.

Several generic drugmakers including India’s Cipla, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Wockhardt, Mankind Pharma etc, are looking at the diabetes, obesity and weightloss category, including the spate of GLP-1 products going off patent. Novo Nordisk’s oral version of semaglutide is available in India. It’s injectible version available internationally saw demand surge, as celebrities endorsed the weight-loss benefits of the product, among other things, putting enormous pressure on its supplies.

Cipla’s Managing Director and Global CEO Umang Vohra had said earlier this year, that obesity and weight-loss were a focus area, and they were open to partner with Eli Lilly makers of Mounjaro (tirzepatide), in the same category. Lilly has stated its intent to bring its product into India, possibly by 2025, according to reports.

More recently, Vohra also hoped to be among “the first wave” of companies bringing the product to India. “In-licensing is always an option for us in deepening our partnership with large multinational corporations that sell categories of GLP-1 drugs,” he said. Dr Reddy’s management too expressed plans for the segment, just days ago.

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