Emcure Pharmaceuticals on Monday said it saw Poviztra, its newly launched semaglutide brand, as a “long-term” opportunity in India’s fast-evolving obesity and cardiometabolic therapy market, even as price competition in the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) segment intensified.
IMAGE: Satish Mehta, CEO and managing director, Emcure Pharmaceuticals. Photograph: Courtesy, Emcure Pharmaceuticals
This comes days after Novo Nordisk cut prices of its imported weight-loss drug Wegovy, narrowing the gap with locally marketed alternatives ahead of the expiry of the semaglutide patent next year.
Poviztra, which Emcure exclusively distributes and commercialises in India in partnership with Novo Nordisk, is priced at Rs 8,790 per month as a starter dose (once a week for four weeks).
This is about 19 per cent lower than Wegovy’s 0.25 mg price of Rs 10,850, according to the company.
Emcure said the pricing strategy reflected its intent to expand its reach across India rather than pursue a narrow, metro-centric play.
“Our goal is to take this product to all parts of India, keeping affordability and accessibility in mind,” said Satish Mehta, chief executive officer and managing director, stressing that Poviztra was the innovator molecule, not a biosimilar or generic, backed by more than a decade of global clinical and real-world evidence.
The company views obesity treatment as a structural, long-term opportunity.
“This is not access play just on volumes. Obesity is a big problem and a growing one.
“Estimates suggest this could become a billion-dollar market in India by 2030,” Mehta added.
Emcure described its arrangement with Novo Nordisk as a long-term partnership.
There are no immediate plans for local manufacturing or fill-finish (when drug products are put into a container) in India, with the current focus on building the brand and expanding reach.
On supply constraints, the company said Novo Nordisk had taken steps globally to address capacity.
“India is an important market for Novo in metabolic and obesity care.
“Capacity planning has been reckoned on in the launch strategy,” said Vikas Thapar, president, Emcure Pharmaceuticals, declining to share details on imports.
With Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro gaining traction and Novo’s own Wegovy and Ozempic present in the market, Emcure said its differentiation lay in distribution depth and therapeutic reach, rather than just price.
The firm plans to deploy over 1,000 persons for Poviztra from its 5,000-plus domestic sales force, with a focus on cardiology, women’s health and internal medicine, alongside endocrinology.
“There is room for multiple brands. Even today, the market is barely scratching the surface,” Thapar said, noting that Emcure’s strength in Tier-II and Tier-III cities was a key reason Novo chose it as a local partner.
Emcure expects demand for GLP-1 therapies to extend beyond large urban centres, driven by rising awareness and social media.
“This will not remain a product for just metros.
“With education and awareness, we expect an uptake even in smaller cities,” Mehta said.
To support this, Emcure has launched a consumer-awareness initiative under the “Winning Over Obesity” platform, alongside doctor-education programmes.
While acknowledging price erosion as generics enter post-patent expiry, Emcure says innovator-backed brands with strong clinical data will continue to command trust.
