Ozempic has finally hit the Indian markets. Manufactured by Danish pharma major Novo Nordisk, the type 2 diabetes treatment injection is now available in India as 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg in ‘FlexTouch Pen’.
The launched model is an easy-to-use, once-weekly pen device, at a starting cost of Rs 2,200 per week. The company says Novo Nordisk is marketing Ozempic purely as a treatment for type 2 diabetes in India.
“We are very judicious in terms of pricing in India. It really remains very competitive, internally and externally as well, to offer at a price like this,” Shrotriya told PTI.
Novo Nordisk India Managing Director, Vikrant Shrotriya, said the company is looking to provide patients with an innovative and accessible therapy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes while also offering meaningful weight management and long-term heart and kidney protection.
What is type 2 diabetes?
As per Mayo Clinic, type 2 diabetes happens when the body cannot use insulin correctly and sugar builds up in the blood. It was once called adult-onset diabetes. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can start during childhood and adulthood. Type 2 is more common in older adults. However, the increase in the number of children with obesity has led to more young people with type 2 diabetes.
Ozempic (injectable semaglutide) is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise for adults living with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) once a week.
As per the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2023-24 estimates, India has 101 million (roughly 11.4 per cent of its population) people living with diabetes, making it the second largest diabetes-affected population in the world after China. The country also has 136 million individuals with prediabetes and 254 million people living with generalised obesity, signalling an accelerating health challenge that requires effective, evidence-based therapies, Novo Nordisk mentioned.
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