STORY: Novo Nordisk will launch its blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic in India this month.
That's according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The Danish drugmaker wants to strengthen its foothold in India.
It has the second-highest number of people with type 2 diabetes after China and rising obesity rates.
It makes it a key battleground as drugmakers try to grab a share of the country's fast-growing weight-loss treatment market.
Analysts expect its value to reach $150 billion a year by the end of the decade.
Ozempic is a once-weekly injectable approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for type 2 diabetes.
The global bestseller is widely used off-label for weight loss due to its appetite-suppressing effects.
Novo's Wegovy, which like Ozempic is semaglutide, is approved for weight loss.
The firm said in September it was given Indian regulatory approval to import and sell Ozempic.
On Thursday it said it hoped to launch the drug as early as possible.
But it didn't give further details on an updated timeline or the drug's pricing.
The move comes as Wegovy faces stiff competition from U.S. rival Eli Lilly.
Its Mounjaro is approved for diabetes and weight loss, and data showed it became India's top-selling drug by value in October.
