Indians may have to wait a while yet for Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy, which is not expected to hit the market this year. Wegovy, a relatively new drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2021, mimics the body’s GLP-1 hormone to promote a feeling of fullness, aiding those with obesity or overweight in losing weight.
"Regarding the timeline for launching Wegovy in India, unfortunately, it will not be this year," Karsten Munk Knudsen, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Vice President (EVP) of Novo Nordisk’s, told Business Today.
His remarks underline the strategic caution exercised by Novo Nordisk as they strive to balance expanding their market footprint with maintaining supply commitments in existing markets. The drug has seen widespread adoption fairly quickly across the US and several other countries, including Denmark, Norway, Germany, the UK, Iceland, Switzerland, UAE, and Japan.
Despite the global success, the demand for Wegovy continues to outstrip its supply, presenting significant challenges in fulfilling prescriptions in established markets like the US. The company earlier this month said that it has ramped up production, with weekly new U.S. patient enrolments reaching over 25,000, a substantial increase from December 2023. However, this surge in demand has stretched their manufacturing capacity to its limits.
"We are maximising production by running manufacturing lines continuously. We are very careful not to launch into more markets where we put patient continuity at risk," Knudsen said.
Knudsen further emphasised the significant unmet needs in the Indian healthcare landscape, particularly regarding diabetes and obesity management. "We are highly vested towards the Indian market, and the unmet need in diabetes as well as obesity is substantial in India as in many other markets," Knudsen noted.
"The demand has been overwhelming...we have a very measured approach in how we launch the product on a global scale because right now we simply cannot manufacture enough compared to the demand in society,” he said.
A significant proportion of Indians grapple with the problem of excess weight and obesity related disorders. According to a study published in March 2024 in the journal BMC Endocrine Disorders, obesity rates in India have reached "epidemic proportions." The study reported that as of 2022, 6.4% of women and 4% of men aged 15-49 years in India are classified as obese.
On March 8, Novo Nordisk announced FDA approval for a label expansion of Wegovy, now endorsed for reducing major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) risks in adults with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease (CVD), further emphasising its role in cardiovascular health management.
Following the recent US label update, Wegovy is now indicated for reducing the risk of MACE in adults with established CVD and either obesity or overweight, alongside promoting weight reduction and maintenance in adults and paediatric patients with obesity or overweight and related comorbid conditions, the company had said in a statement.