NATCO opens semaglutide market at ₹1,290, sets early price benchmark

Hyderabad-based NATCO Pharma on Friday announced the launch of its generic semaglutide on Day 1 of the patent expiry, at prices that sharply undercut existing therapies and set an early benchmark for the market.

The announcement comes on March 20, the day key patents on semaglutide expired in India, opening the segment to domestic drugmakers and triggering what is expected to be a wave of competition in the coming months.

The company has received approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to manufacture and market semaglutide following a clinical comparison study. The drug, part of the GLP-1 class, is prescribed for adults with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes, alongside diet and exercise, and demand has been rising globally for both blood sugar control and weight management. Globally, semaglutide-based therapies such as Ozempic and Wegovy, developed by Novo Nordisk, have seen sustained demand, at times leading to supply constraints in key markets.

NATCO’s entry is built around pricing and format. It is introducing semaglutide in a multi-dose vial format under the brands Semanat and Semafull, with prices starting at ₹1,290 per month for lower strengths and going up to ₹1,750 for the highest strength. A pen device version, which is easier to administer, is expected to follow in April, priced between ₹4,000 and ₹4,500 per month.

“This is the first time semaglutide is being offered in a vial format in India,” the company said, adding that the product will be supported by customised syringes. The vial format, it noted, is “approximately 70% cheaper than pen devices and nearly 90% lower than the innovator product.”

The pricing difference is significant in a market where cost remains a key barrier. While demand for GLP-1 therapies has been building, particularly in urban centres, monthly costs have limited adoption. India, which has over 100 million people living with diabetes, represents a large but underpenetrated market for such therapies, with affordability often determining long-term adherence.

“With this pricing, access to GLP-1 therapy is expected to expand,” the company said, adding that lower cost could also support “long-term compliance for patients.”

“Lower pricing is a positive step towards improving access and long-term adherence in diabetes care,” said Dr. Ambrish Mithal, Chairman and Head of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Max Healthcare Institute Ltd, Saket, New Delhi.

The company is also offering the product for co-marketing, allowing other pharmaceutical players to distribute it alongside their own portfolios. This could help widen reach as more companies prepare to launch competing versions following the patent expiry. Several domestic drugmakers are expected to enter the semaglutide segment over the next few quarters, which could further widen the price range and expand access across markets.

NATCO’s decision to lead with a vial format also introduces a difference in how the market may evolve. Vials are more affordable but require careful dosing, while pen devices are easier to use but come at a higher price. This could create a split between cost-driven adoption and convenience-driven use. The format differentiation is likely to play a key role in forming patient preference as well as prescribing behaviour.

“This is a long-term therapy, and affordability plays a role in continuity of treatment,” the company said, pointing to the need for sustained use in diabetes management.

“The demand for GLP-1 therapies is clearly building, not just for diabetes but also for weight management. As prices correct in India, the addressable market could expand significantly, especially in urban centres,” said Rajesh Pherwani, Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Valcreate Investment Managers LLP.

The therapy is also seeing growing interest beyond diabetes, with demand for weight management rising in urban markets, although such use remains subject to medical supervision.

With multiple companies expected to enter the segment, the market is opening with a wide pricing range and different product formats. NATCO’s Day 1 launch brings down the entry cost sharply, even as competition builds across the category.