Abbott India to sell Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, weight-loss drug behind Ozempic

Abbott India Ltd has partnered with Novo Nordisk to market a new brand of semaglutide in India, the diabetes drug behind blockbuster weight-loss therapy Ozempic, amid rising demand for advanced metabolic treatments.

In a regulatory filing on Friday, February 27, Abbott India said it will commercialise the drug under the brand name Extensior in India. The launch is expected soon, although no specific timeline or financial details of the partnership were disclosed.

Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, has demonstrated benefits including HbA1c reduction, weight loss, and lower cardiovascular and kidney risk in people with type 2 diabetes. Its weight-loss effects have drawn global attention, including social media traction and legal scrutiny over alleged misuse. Novo Nordisk has also faced patent disputes with rival drugmakers over semaglutide in separate court cases.

Novo Nordisk India Managing Director Vikrant Shrotriya described the therapy as “one of the most significant scientific advancements in diabetes care” in recent decades, adding that it has reshaped the management of type 2 diabetes.

Semaglutide was added to the World Health Organization’s Essential Medicines List in 2025. The therapy has been available globally for nearly a decade, with over 49 million patient-years of use across indications.

Abbott India Managing Director Kartik Rajendran said the brand would be commercialised in line with the company’s commitment to expand access to evidence-based therapies, particularly as India remains one of the fastest-growing diabetes populations globally. The company noted that over 100 million people in India live with diabetes, a number projected to rise further in the coming decades.

Shares of Abbott India closed at ₹26,540, up 0.70% for the day.

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