Glenmark Launches Affordable Semaglutide to Compete in India

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals is looking to tap into the fast-growing anti-diabetes and obesity market with the introduction of low-cost analogs of semaglutide, a common GLP-1 receptor agonist.

This action will put Glenmark in the same company with such Indian pharmaceutical giants as Sun Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Reddy Labs, and Zydus Lifesciences, which are also gearing up to introduce their own generic products.

According to sources, Glenmark will sell its semaglutide product at a significantly lower price than the innovator brands, even though it has been estimated to be priced between 3000-5000 per month, which is much lower than the existing products in the market. The company can also license the drug to a partner that has regulatory approvals in India to launch it as soon as possible.

Also Read: Oral GLP-1 Drugs: Expanding Patient Access in Obesity and Diabetes Care

Glenmark is also working on an extensive patient support program to make its offering stand out in the generics market, which is very saturated. In contrast to the more traditional endocrinology-oriented solution, Glenmark tries to cover a wider range of solutions, including diabetes treatment, obesity treatment, heart disorders, and kidney health, as the correlation between obesity and kidney dysfunction has been confirmed.

Once semaglutide loses its patent in India (March 21), it will be a free-for-all with at least six major local drugmakers vying to capture a portion of the market. It is estimated that the number of diabetes and obesity patients in India alone is more than 100 million, and it is anticipated that the call for affordable treatment will explode, hence the need for Glenmark to enter the market.

Glenmark will likely use the popularity of its already available anti-diabetes drug, Lirafit, to enhance the launching of its new product.