Dr. Reddy's plans generic semaglutide launches in 87 countries in 2026

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories plans to launch a generic version of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic, in 87 countries during 2026, beginning with Canada, India, Brazil and Turkey as patents on the drug expire ^[1]. The company's chief executive, Erez Israeli, described the plan in remarks reported on July 24, 2025 ^[1].

Israeli said the "U.S. and Europe will open later," and that "all the other Western markets will be open between 2029 to 2033" ^[1]. He said he expects the generic to generate "hundreds of millions of dollars" in sales ^[1].

Semaglutide's patent expires in several countries starting in 2026, including India, Canada, China, Brazil and Turkey, according to an IQVIA analysis ^[2]. Those five countries hold about 40% of the world's population and an estimated 33% of the world's adults living with obesity ^[2]. IQVIA puts combined 2024 sales of semaglutide products at $26 billion, growing about 40% a year, making it the world's second-best-selling prescription medicine ^[2].

Dr. Reddy's is one of several Indian manufacturers moving toward generic weight-loss drugs. Cipla, Lupin, Biocon and Sun Pharma have also said they plan launches ^[1]. In India, more than 10 companies have filed Subject Expert Committee submissions to run Phase III studies of semaglutide, and seven of those are testing oral versions ^[2]. In China, 17 candidates have reached Phase III trials or the pre-market application stage, nine of them in obesity ^[2]. Biocon has partnered with Biomm to file and commercialize an off-patent semaglutide in Brazil ^[2].

Pricing is an open question. In Turkey, IQVIA expects off-patent versions will not seek reimbursement at first, and initial private-market prices should look very similar to the original product until competition arrives; competition is not projected to cut prices by more than 50% from the starting price ^[2]. Hypera, which plans a Brazilian launch, said the discount there would be smaller than generics usually deliver because of high production costs and limited availability of injection pens ^[2].

In the U.S., Novo Nordisk settled a patent dispute in October 2024 with Mylan (a Viatris subsidiary), Dr. Reddy's, Apotex and Sun Pharma over U.S. patent no. 10,335,462, which covers specific dosages of semaglutide used to treat type 2 diabetes ^[1]. Settlement terms have not been disclosed ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

The launches described here are outside the United States, and Dr. Reddy's has said Western markets including the U.S. would not open until 2029 to 2033 ^[1]. That means U.S. patients are unlikely to see this particular generic semaglutide soon, though the 2024 settlements ^[1] and the wider wave of manufacturers ^[2] shape what the market may look like later.

Cost is the backdrop. IQVIA's review of 11,431 social media conversations found that about a third of negative experiences with modern anti-obesity medicines involved cost ^[2]. Lower-priced off-patent semaglutide is expected to expand private, self-paid markets in price-sensitive countries, and IQVIA suggests it could serve as a maintenance option after initial weight loss, a cheaper way to start treatment before switching to newer drugs such as tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) or future oral treatments such as orforglipron, or a reason for patients to switch brands ^[2]. IQVIA notes there is little or no formal clinical guidance on using pharmacotherapy to maintain weight loss ^[2].

How the drug is classified in each country matters too. If regulators treat off-patent semaglutide as a generic, pharmacists gain more power to substitute it for a prescribed brand; if it is treated as a biosimilar, the choice typically stays with the prescriber ^[2].

What happens next

• 2026: Dr. Reddy's plans launches in 87 countries, starting with Canada, India, Brazil and Turkey ^[1].
• 2026: semaglutide patents expire in India, Canada, China, Brazil and Turkey ^[2]. In India, off-patent semaglutide arrives within a year of Mounjaro (launched March 2025) and Wegovy (launched June 2025) ^[2].
• 2029 to 2033: Western markets, including the U.S. and Europe, are expected to open ^[1].
• Canada could become the first market with wide-scale reimbursement if off-patent semaglutide is classified as a generic; Canadian pricing rules could require discounts of up to 75% versus the originator product ^[2].