Ever since weight loss drugs hit the market, their sky-high price has pushed them out of reach for most patients, but that is about to change.
Within days, millions are set to gain access to Ozempic and Wegovy for as little as $15 a month, or just $3 a dose.
That is because in some nations, the patent is about to expire, the legal protection that forbids other companies from manufacturing generic versions – medications that are the same as the brand-name drug.
In the US, they are on patent until 2032, meaning patients will have to wait another six years to access the discount generics. They currently cost anywhere from $340 to more than $1,300 per month in the US without insurance coverage.
But in India, the patent for semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — will expire on March 20.
This will allow other companies to produce generic versions of the drugs that cost less for the first time.
This year, the patent is also set to expire in China, Canada, Brazil, Turkey and South Africa, home to approximately 40 percent of the world’s population.
‘I don’t think there has ever been so much excitement for any class of drug going off patent,’ said Siddharth Mittal, the chief executive of an Indian manufacturer that is planning to sell generic versions of semaglutide.
Rebel Wilson is shown above in 2015, left, and in January 2024. She has lost nearly 80lbs, and previously said that this was with some help from Ozempic
It will not be possible to sell the generic versions of the drug in the US, even as they become available in other countries, because of the patent still in place.
Pharmacies had been able to make cheaper generic versions of the drugs during a shortage of the name-brand versions, but regulators are now clamping down on this, saying the US has sufficient supply.
Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound, which contain tirzepatide, are set to be on patent in the US until 2036.
In India alone, more than 40 companies are expected to launch over 50 generic brands of the drug within the next week.
The generics are not Ozempic or Wegovy, although they contain the same active drug – semaglutide.
Ozempic and Wegovy will remain available in markets where they are no longer covered by patents, but the generics are expected to lead to a significant price reduction.
In general, patents last for about 20 years from the date they are filed, but they can be extended if there are delays.
In the US, because Novo Nordisk — semaglutide’s manufacturer — spent years developing its drug and waiting for regulatory approval, Ozempic was not approved until December 2017, it has been granted a patent extension.
These same protections do not exist in other countries, such as India.
Amy Schumer, shown in 2024, left, and in October last year. She has lost 50lbs, and said that she did try Ozempic, but then claimed she discontinued its use because of the side effects
Sharon Osbourne, shown in January 2023, left, and November 2023, lost 42lbs on Ozempic and then said that she felt she needed to ‘put weight back on’
In Canada, no extension to the patent was granted and Novo Nordisk stopped paying its patent maintenance fee, of $290 (CAD $400) a year, leading its patent in the nation to expire in 2026.
In China, there are 10 companies already preparing to sell generic versions of semaglutide. At least a dozen more firms have completed clinical trials.
In India, generic manufacturers have not yet disclosed their pricing plans, reports the New York Times, but analysts predict the price could drop to $15 a month.
Salil Kallianpur, an independent analyst, said: ‘With high demand, falling prices and multiple brands, you may see direct pharmacy purchases, distributor-level leakages, or cosmetic or lifestyle use, especially in urban markets.
‘This could lead to misuse, poor titration and unmanaged side effects and eventually regulatory tightening.’
Vishal, a 32-year-old tech worker in Hyderabad, southern India, who uses Wegovy, is among those saying he is considering switching.
‘I will consult my doctor to check if I can move to a generic version,’ he said, ‘as that appears to be lighter on the pocket’.
Weight loss drugs are among the most profitable and fastest-growing products in the pharmaceutical industry, once considered Hollywood’s worst-kept secret, for their ability to help someone lose weight with little more than a weekly injection.
Weight loss drugs have taken the US by storm for their promise to prompt weight loss through nothing more than a weekly injection
About one in seven Americans have tried the drugs, according to estimates, while another one in seven say they would be interested in using them.
Overall, about 42 percent of US adults are obese and 10 percent are considered to be severely obese. Nearly one in three adults, or 30 percent, are overweight.
Celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Rebel Wilson and Amy Schumer have come forward to say they used the drugs to lose weight.
Doctors prescribe the drugs for type 2 diabetics and weight loss, but urge patients on the drugs to also consume a high-protein diet and exercise.
This is to slash the risk of muscle wastage, frailty and falls that may be caused by the medications.
Wegovy has been approved for type 2 diabetics and weight loss, while Ozempic has only been approved for use in diabetics, although it can also be prescribed off-label for weight loss.
In India, more than $100 million was spent on weight loss drugs in 2025. An estimated 180 million adults in the country are overweight or obese.
