Following the patent expiration in India, Zydus Lifesciences Limited (including its subsidiaries, henceforth referred to as “Zydus”), an innovation-driven global lifesciences company, introduced Semaglutide Injection under the brand names SEMAGLYNTM, MASHEMATM, and ALTERMETM. The manufacturing and marketing of semaglutide injection for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and obesity indications had previously received approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).

Obesity and diabetes are two of the biggest health issues facing India today.2 GLP-1-based therapies may be crucial in resolving this expanding public health issue. The International Diabetes Federation estimates that 8.9 crore adults in India, or 10.5% of the adult population, have diabetes. At the same time, obesity is rapidly increasing in all age groups. The prevalence of obesity among adults has risen by 91% in women (from 12.6% to 24.0%) and 146% in men (from 9.3% to 22.9%). These patterns indicate that the nation’s health crisis is getting worse.

Zydus offers a novel reusable multi-dose pen device, in contrast to existing treatment options that frequently require patients to buy multiple single-dose pens as they gradually titrate their dosage. This development will improve adherence, increase convenience, and drastically reduce the total cost of therapy by allowing patients and clinicians to easily choose and administer various dose strengths from a single pen. The 15 mg/3 ml cartridge of Zydus’ semaglutide injection will be produced at Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad.

The treatment will cost about Rs. 2,200 per month on average.

Priyanka Dutta