Looming GLP-1 drug patent expirations draw generics firms

In the mid-2000s, Novo Nordisk had developed a peptide called liraglutide that mimics the gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), leading to antidiabetic effects and weight loss. The problem was that a patient had to inject the drug daily. The Danish firm wanted to refine the approach, and its research finally bore fruit. It invented a new GLP-1 mimic, semaglutide, that could be injected once a week. Its studies showed that, compared with liraglutide, the new peptide led to greater weight loss in individuals with obesity.Semaglutide is now well known as the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss drug Wegovy, which were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2016 and 2021, respectively. The two drugs have generated billions of dollars in profits for the company, but that cash stream will start to dry up next year when semaglutide patents expire in some of the world’s biggest markets, including India, China, and Brazil.While Novo Nordisk may be glum about the upcoming patent expirations, the moment is one that generic-drug companies and peptide producers across India, China, and Europe have been rehearsing long and hard for, as they will be able to sell copycat versions of semaglutide. The entry of multiple manufacturers and sellers into the market should mean lower drug prices and greater patient access.“Most of the big generics companies are looking at the semaglutide market as a very big market for themselves and are gearing up for rapid launches post patent