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Oral Semaglutide: Dr Reddy’s debuts semaglutide pill at Rs 99 starting price, ETPharma
New Delhi: Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy’s Laboratories announced the commercial launch of its oral semaglutide drug, under the brand name Obeda in India.
The oral pill will be marketed for the management of type-2 diabetes across three strengths 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg at the price range of Rs 99, Rs 135, and Rs 225 per tablet respectively.
Patients are required to take one pill daily and are titrated to to the maintenance dose strength gradually.
Last month, the Delhi High Court had restrained the company from launching its oral brand “Olymviq,” citing its phonetic similarity to the innovator, Novo Nordisk’s trademark “Ozempic.”
Notably, while Novo Nordisk’s holds market exclusivity on the oral pill —Rybelsus— until 2031, generic competitors have advanced non-infringing formulations that fall outside the scope of the patent protection.
In March, Ahmedabad-based Torrent Pharma become the first drug maker to debut its oral brands, Semalix and Sembolic, after the Delhi High Court ruled that its formulation falls outside the range protected by the innovator.
According to the sales tracker PharmaTrac, over the last month., the Ahmedabad-based drugmaker has leapfrogged the oral segment, with its brands—Semalix and Sembolic— posting net sales of Rs 6 crore, compared to Rs 1 core in March.
Unlike injectables, the tracker suggested that, oral semaglutide market has not expanded exponentially both in terms of value and volumes.
At Rs 3000 for the starting dose, Dr Reddy’s has undercut both Torrent and Novo Nordisk which retails a 30-tablet bottle at nearly Rs 4000.
“As we continue to build a comprehensive GLP‑1 portfolio, the launch of our oral semaglutide for patients with diabetes marks an important step in our journey to broaden access to advanced diabetes care,” said M.V. Ramana, CEO, Global Generics, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.
The company has developed the oral formulation inhouse, leveraging the salcaprozate sodium) technology (SNAC) which helps in improving drug absorption by shielding the peptide (semaglutide) from gastric enzymes.
Dr Reddy’s was also among the first drug makers to launch the once-weekly injectable formulation in India following the expiry of its patent in March this year.
