Alkem Laboratories is positioning itself to lead India’s fast-growing weight-loss drug market, driven by its in-house semaglutide development, a well-trained medical representative network, and extensive market reach, a top company executive said.
The Mumbai-headquartered company is among the country’s top drugmakers that launched generic versions of weight-loss drug semaglutide on Saturday, a day after it lost patent exclusivity in India. Companies including Sun Pharma, Zydus Lifesciences, Natco Pharma and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories have all launched generic semaglutide brands priced 50-90% cheaper than the innovator brands – Ozempic and Wegovy developed by Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk.
Alkem’s injectable pen is priced at ₹1,800 per month for a starting dose, which translates to ₹450 per week. While some of its competitors have launched injectable vials at lower prices, Alkem’s generic pen undercuts other pen devices launched on Saturday, which are in the range of ₹3,000-4,000 a month.
“Affordable pricing will empower healthcare practitioners to offer the therapy to as many deserving patients as they feel,” Alkem’s chief executive officer (CEO) Vikas Gupta told Mint in an interview.
Alkem’s semaglutide pen devices will be marketed under the brand names Semasize, Obesema, and Hepaglide.
Alkem has received approval from the Drug Controller General of India () for manufacturing and marketing semaglutide for type-2 diabetes and chronic weight management, after a review of its Phase 3 clinical trials conducted in India.
Gupta emphasised that the drug’s pricing is only part of the offering. At the core of Alkem’s strategy is owning the product end-to-end. “The biggest satisfaction is that we have a world-class product, which is similar to the innovator on clinical and chemical aspects,” Gupta said. Alkem has developed the product internally, which gives it tighter control over quality, costs and supply.
This is particularly critical for complex drug-device combinations such as semaglutide. Gupta said that Alkem has kept its drug device design close to the innovator’s to ensure smoother prescribing and patient experience.
A ready, trained field force
Alkem is planning to roll out pan-India distribution immediately, leveraging its strong network across the country, including in tier-II and tier-III geographies where the drug has not yet seen much penetration.
For this, it has deployed a dedicated team of medical representatives (MRs) who have undergone “rigorous” training for the specialised product. “There has been a big effort for this (training MRs) in preparation for the launch. Most people who will be promoting the product, have an understanding of the therapy, of the disease pattern, of what these drugs are,” said Gupta.
This field effort has only just begun, with promotion kicking off post-launch and wider outreach expected in the coming weeks.
The semaglutide push aligns with Alkem’s broader strategy of strengthening its chronic therapies portfolio. The company aims to “outperform the market by 100–250 basis points” and double its chronic business over the next three to five years.
“This is one of the most important opportunities to go after this year,” Gupta said, adding that the product could emerge as a top chronic brand for the company over time. While the immediate focus remains on India, Alkem plans to expand into emerging markets and eventually the US, positioning as a long-term global play.
Alkem’s chronic care business amounted to ₹1,372 crore in FY25, growing at a 13.3% CAGR over three years, according to its annual report.
The competition
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist, used to treat type-2 diabetes and obesity. The drug gained global popularity for its weight-loss benefits and is better known by brand names Ozempic and Wegovy.
While India is still a nascent market for GLP-1s, the pick-up so far for innovator drugs like Ozempic, , and Mounjaro has been swift – upwards of ₹1,400 crore in just a year, signalling a massive opportunity for generic brands. This is expected to grow 5x over the next five years, according to CareEdge Ratings.
A report by Systematix Institutional Equities dated 2 January pegs the generic semaglutide opportunity across India, emerging markets and regulated markets at over ₹5,000 crore over the next 12-15 months. “This opportunity is likely to be shared among 10-15 players, comprising Indian and global generic manufacturers,” the report said.
For FY27, the report estimates an incremental revenue opportunity of ₹1,000–2,000 crore in India’s branded formulations market, ₹4,500 crore in regulated markets such as Canada and Brazil, and ₹500-1,000 crore in emerging markets.