The Delhi High Court on Monday, March 9, dismissed a plea by Novo Nordisk seeking to restrain Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories from manufacturing and exporting semaglutide to countries where the drug does not have patent protection.
The court upheld its January 2026 verdict after hearing appeals against a single-judge bench order that allowed Dr. Reddy’s to manufacture and export semaglutide to markets where the drug is not under patent protection.
The judgment also comes as Novo Nordisk prepares to launch a new brand of semaglutide, Extensior, in India.
Semaglutide is the active pharmaceutical ingredient used in Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster drugs Ozempic, used to treat diabetes, and Wegovy, prescribed for obesity and weight management.
In December 2025, a single-judge bench of the Delhi High Court ruled that Novo Nordisk had failed to establish a case to restrain Dr. Reddy’s from exporting the drug ingredient to markets where patent protection does not exist.
Novo Nordisk has argued that its patent for semaglutide remains valid in India until March 20, 2026.
The outcome of the case is expected to have implications for generic manufacturers seeking to export semaglutide to markets where the drug is not under patent protection.
Shares of Novo Nordisk were trading up around 1.2% in the initial hours of trading in the European market.
Watch: Lupin CFO says weight loss drug prices likely to fall as semaglutide goes off patent
First Published: Mar 9, 2026 2:49 PM IST