Bengaluru: In a landmark move to expand access to obesity treatment in India, Novo Nordisk India and Emcure Pharmaceuticals announced a strategic partnership to commercialise Poviztra®, a semaglutide injection 2.4 mg, as a second brand of Wegovy®. This collaboration marked a significant step in Novo Nordisk’s mission to make its innovative GLP-1 therapy more widely available to people living with overweight and obesity across the country.
Under the agreement, Emcure Pharma became the first Indian pharmaceutical company to receive exclusive rights to distribute and market Poviztra® in India. The partnership aimed to strengthen the reach of semaglutide-based weight loss treatment, especially in regions and pharmacies beyond Novo Nordisk’s existing footprint.
Wegovy®, the original brand of semaglutide injection 2.4 mg, was launched in India in June 2025. It has been indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management and for reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in individuals with overweight or obesity. Clinical trials revealed that one in three participants on Wegovy® experienced weight loss exceeding 20%, underscoring its efficacy.
Poviztra® retained the same formulation and dosage as Wegovy®, offering a second brand option to enhance accessibility. The molecule semaglutide has been on the global market for nearly a decade, with over 38 million patient years of exposure and robust real-world evidence supporting its safety and effectiveness. It has undergone extensive evaluation in the STEP and SELECT clinical trial programmes focused on obesity management.
Jay Thyagarajan, Senior Vice President, Region APAC, Novo Nordisk, commented, “Obesity is a serious chronic disease affecting millions of people across India and results in significant unmet medical needs. Recognising the magnitude of the obesity challenge, we launched Wegovy® in India a few months ago. Now, we are happy to join hands with Emcure Pharma to broaden access to high-quality, safe, and effective obesity treatment. This partnership brings together Novo Nordisk’s innovation in GLP-1 therapies and Emcure’s robust marketing and distribution capabilities to improve access to obesity treatment for people living with overweight or obesity in India.”
Satish Mehta, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Emcure Pharma, added, “We are thrilled to partner with Novo Nordisk India to bring Poviztra® to India and are proud to be the first Indian pharmaceutical company to bring the world’s most widely used and trusted GLP-1-based weight loss molecule to the Indian market. We believe in the potential of semaglutide. With our strong understanding of the country’s diverse geographical landscape and established marketing capabilities, we are confident about making this molecule available to patients who need it the most.”
This partnership reflected a shared commitment to addressing India’s growing obesity burden with clinically proven, high-quality solutions. The launch of Poviztra® was expected to accelerate the availability of semaglutide treatment across diverse regions, empowering healthcare providers and patients with more options for effective weight management.
