SUNPHARMA

Repeats story from 13th Feburary with no changes to text

By Rishika Sadam

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Biocon BION.NS is aiming for high-double-digit percentage revenue growth as the Indian pharmaceutical firm prepares to launch generic versions of weight-loss drugs globally even as it remains cautious about an early rollout in the home market, a top company executive told Reuters.

The company is counting on demand for obesity medicines as it expands a pipeline that includes copycat versions of Novo Nordisk's NOVOb.CO Wegovy, whose patent for semaglutide in a few markets expires in 2026.

Indian drugmakers, including Dr Reddy's REDY.NS, Lupin LUPN.NS, Sun Pharmaceutical SUN.NS and at least half a dozen others are racing to bring cheaper copies to markets once the active compound goes off patent.

Bengaluru-based Biocon is targeting a U.S. launch of generic liraglutide in the first quarter of the next financial year, CEO Siddharth Mittal said in an interview on Friday. Liraglutide is also used for obesity treatment.

It aims to launch generic Wegovy in Canada next year, subject to regulatory approval, Mittal said. It is also planning launches over the next few years in India, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, and parts of the Middle East and Latin America.

The company, however, is cautious about an early start in India due to fierce price competition and local clinical trial requirements, Mittal said.

"There's going to be fierce competition in India," Mittal said, citing low price expectations. He said Biocon is exploring approval in a specific overseas market first, which could help it seek a clinical trial waiver in India under local rules.

In India, Biocon would need to run a late-stage clinical trial before launch. The company is weighing whether that cost would be justified, Mittal said, or whether it should seek a waiver.

The obesity medicines market, according to several forecasts, is expected to reach at least $150 billion globally by the early 2030s, and analysts expect generic versions to be priced at least 60% below the originator products.

Biocon expects high double-digit percentage revenue growth, Mittal said. The company's annual revenue grew 5.4% in fiscal 2025 from a year ago, but it has been growing in early double-digits on a quarter-on-quarter basis.

India is not Biocon's main market. The company derives significant share of revenue from the United States and parts of Europe.

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

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By Rishika Sadam

Feb 13 (Reuters) - Biocon BION.NS is aiming for high-double-digit percentage revenue growth as the Indian pharmaceutical firm prepares to launch generic versions of weight-loss drugs globally even as it remains cautious about an early rollout in the home market, a top company executive told Reuters.

The company is counting on demand for obesity medicines as it expands a pipeline that includes copycat versions of Novo Nordisk's NOVOb.CO Wegovy, whose patent for semaglutide in a few markets expires in 2026.

Indian drugmakers, including Dr Reddy's REDY.NS, Lupin LUPN.NS, Sun Pharmaceutical SUN.NS and at least half a dozen others are racing to bring cheaper copies to markets once the active compound goes off patent.

Bengaluru-based Biocon is targeting a U.S. launch of generic liraglutide in the first quarter of the next financial year, CEO Siddharth Mittal said in an interview on Friday. Liraglutide is also used for obesity treatment.

It aims to launch generic Wegovy in Canada next year, subject to regulatory approval, Mittal said. It is also planning launches over the next few years in India, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, and parts of the Middle East and Latin America.

The company, however, is cautious about an early start in India due to fierce price competition and local clinical trial requirements, Mittal said.

"There's going to be fierce competition in India," Mittal said, citing low price expectations. He said Biocon is exploring approval in a specific overseas market first, which could help it seek a clinical trial waiver in India under local rules.

In India, Biocon would need to run a late-stage clinical trial before launch. The company is weighing whether that cost would be justified, Mittal said, or whether it should seek a waiver.

The obesity medicines market, according to several forecasts, is expected to reach at least $150 billion globally by the early 2030s, and analysts expect generic versions to be priced at least 60% below the originator products.

Biocon expects high double-digit percentage revenue growth, Mittal said. The company's annual revenue grew 5.4% in fiscal 2025 from a year ago, but it has been growing in early double-digits on a quarter-on-quarter basis.

India is not Biocon's main market. The company derives significant share of revenue from the United States and parts of Europe.

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

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SHANGHAI, Jan 27 (Reuters) - China's medicine regulator has ordered a halt to the import, sale and usage of a drug used to treat dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease made by India's Sun Pharmaceutical Industries SUN.NS, according to an announcement posted on Monday.

The National Medical Products Administration said a recent remote inspection found shortcomings in the company's production processes, including in the prevention of contamination and the quality management department's fulfillment of duties.

The body banned the sale of Sun Pharma's rivastigmine hydrogen tartrate capsules.

A spokesperson for Sun Pharma, India's largest drugmaker by revenue, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to Sun Pharma alleging "significant violations" of "current good manufacturing practice" regulations for pharmaceuticals made at the same production site in India, according to the U.S. regulator's website.

Rivastigmine capsules have been used as a dementia treatment in China, one study showed.

(Reporting by Andrew Silver; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)

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Jan 23 (Reuters) - Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd SUN.NS:

• PHARMA RECEIVES DCGI APPROVAL FOR GENERIC SEMAGLUTIDE INJECTION

• TO LAUNCH NOVELTREAT AFTER PATENT EXPIRY

Source text: ID:nBSE9S9Nph

Further company coverage: SUN.NS

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Jan 19 (Reuters) - Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd SUN.NS:

• SUN PHARMA - STATES ORGANON ACQUISITION NEWS IS SPECULATIVE

Source text: ID:nBSE9W7LSZ

Further company coverage: SUN.NS

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The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are her own. Refiles to change editing credits.

By Shrabani Chakraborty

BENGALURU, Jan 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Novo Nordisk NOVOb.CO is fuelling an obesity drug war in India. Last month, the $229 billion Danish drugmaker launched its blockbuster remedy Ozempic into the world’s fifth-largest economy. The once-weekly jab costs a mere 8,800 rupees ($97.94) per month, a staggering discount compared to the U.S. where the same prescription can cost nearly $500. Competition from arch rival Eli Lilly LLY.N and a looming patent cliff will play out on a larger scale in the U.S. in the coming years.

India's obesity levels are rising sharply. In the past three decades, urbanisation encouraged more sedentary lifestyles and diets have shifted towards ultra-processed foods. By 2022, about 24% of India’s population was classified as either overweight or obese, and the situation is expected to get worse. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described obesity as a “silent crisis” and reckoned that it could affect nearly 440 million Indians by 2050, or around a third of today's 1.4 billion population. To tackle the problem, he urged families to cut 10% of cooking oil use and adopt regular exercise.

This healthcare dilemma, however, has created an opportunity for obesity drug giants. In the past year, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have launched Mounjaro and Wegovy, respectively, in the Indian market. But a price war escalated quickly. In March 2025, Mounjaro began selling its injectable drug at 14,000–17,500 rupees per month. Novo Nordisk then followed with Wegovy in June at 10,850 rupees per month. As these drugs gained popularity, Ozempic debuted in December 2025 at 8,800 rupees per month, positioning itself as the most affordable option in India.

This pricing strategy is about fending off competition from all angles. Generic drugmakers like Dr. Reddy's REDY.NS and Sun Pharma SUN.NS are scrambling to develop copycat versions of Novo's drugs once the key patent expires in March 2026. But if the Danish group’s drugs are also ultra cheap, the generic rivals are unlikely to take much market share.

Novo may need to adopt a similar strategy in the U.S. In 2031, the patent on the key ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy will expire, which is likely to trigger intense competition from generic drugmakers. According to Visible Alpha data, Novo Nordisk's revenue will dip 0.33% in 2032 and 1.95% in 2033. But if an India-style price war breaks out, the sales decline may be much more dramatic. Investors have good reason to use India’s weight-loss drug showdown as a warning, not an outlier.

Follow Shrabani Chakraborty on X and LinkedIn.

CONTEXT NEWS

Novo Nordisk launched Ozempic in India on December 12, pricing the 0.25 mg dose at $24.35 per week.

Ozempic will be sold in pen format in 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg doses, with each pen covering four weekly doses.

Monthly prices are 8,800 rupees for 0.25 mg, 10,170 rupees for 0.5 mg and 11,175 rupees for 1 mg doses.

(Editing by Aimee Donnellan; Production by Aditya Srivastav)

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Nov 12 (Reuters) - Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd SUN.NS:

• ONCE WEEKLY UTREGLUTIDE DOSING FOR TEN WEEKS SHOWED BODY WEIGHT LOSS OF 6.8%

Source text: ID:nnAZN4QQBQK

Further company coverage: SUN.NS

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This is an excerpt of the Health Rounds newsletter, where we present latest medical studies on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To receive the full newsletter in your inbox for free sign up here

By Nancy Lapid

Sept 3 (Reuters) - The commonly prescribed blood thinner clopidogrel should replace aspirin as a routine pill for preventing heart attacks and strokes in people who already have at least some degree of heart disease, researchers reported at the European Society of Cardiology Congress.

Pooled data on nearly 29,000 patients with coronary artery disease who had participated in seven earlier randomized trials showed that those taking clopidogrel had a 14% lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events, including heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death, compared to those taking aspirin, during an average follow-up of 5.5 years.

“These results suggest that clopidogrel should be considered the preferred long-term antiplatelet medication for patients with established coronary artery disease,” the researchers said.

Clopidogrel is the generic name of the widely used blood clot preventer Plavix, sold by Bristol Myers Squibb BMY.N and Sanofi SASY.PA. Several companies sell generic clopidogrel including Aurobindo Pharma ARBN.NS, Sun Pharma SUN.NS and Teva Pharmaceuticals TEVA.TA.

Rates of anticoagulant-related side effects like ulcers and major bleeding were similar between the two drugs, dispelling concerns that clopidogrel might lead to more bleeding complications, the researchers said.

The researchers said their analysis included many types of patients and subgroups to ensure the findings, which were also published in The Lancet, applied broadly.

“Even patients who might respond less well to clopidogrel due to genetic or clinical factors still benefited from its use over aspirin,” the researchers said in a statement.

Because clopidogrel is widely available and inexpensive, the study’s findings have the potential to influence clinical guidelines worldwide and improve patient outcomes, the researchers said.

RECYCLED PACEMAKERS IMPROVE ACCESS IN LOW-INCOME NATIONS

Cardiac pacemaker devices can be reconditioned to provide new hope for patients in low- and middle-income countries, researchers said at the ESC meeting in Madrid.

In Kenya, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, Paraguay, Sierra Leone and Venezuela, 306 patients with a life expectancy of at least two years, a clear medical need for pacemaker therapy and no financial means to acquire one were randomly assigned to receive a reconditioned pacemaker or a new pacemaker.

The researchers’ primary concern was that reconditioned devices, which had been removed from other patients, might transmit infections when re-implanted.

A year after the pacemakers were implanted, the incidence of procedure-related infections was 1.6% for those in the reconditioned pacemaker group and 3.1% for those who got new devices. The results demonstrate that the older devices were non-inferior to new ones, the researchers said in a statement.

There were no device malfunctions in either group.

The study was conducted by doctors at the University of Michigan-based Project My Heart Your Heart, which collects pacemakers removed from cadavers by funeral directors.

“Patients in many low- and middle-income countries still have very limited access to cardiac pacing despite its routine use in higher-income countries,” study leader Dr. Thomas Crawford from the University of Michigan said in a statement.

“Indeed, access to pacemaker implantation is around 200-fold lower in Africa than in Europe," Crawford said.

Project My Heart Your Heart developed a comprehensive protocol for cleaning, functional testing and sterilizing reconditioned devices, and has U.S. approval for their export to countries whose governments have provided permission for pacemaker importation, he added.

(To receive the full newsletter in your inbox for free sign up here)

(Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

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Health Rounds is published on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also subscribe here

By Nancy Lapid

Sept 2 (Reuters) - Hello Health Rounds readers! Today we highlight two studies presented at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Madrid, one that compared widely used blood thinners for preventing serious heart problems, and one that tested the safety of reusing cardiac pacemakers.

Clopidogrel tops aspirin for routine use in heart patients

The commonly prescribed blood thinner clopidogrel should replace aspirin as a routine pill for preventing heart attacks and strokes in people who already have at least some degree of heart disease, researchers reported at the European Society of Cardiology Congress.

Pooled data on nearly 29,000 patients with coronary artery disease who had participated in seven earlier randomized trials showed that those taking clopidogrel had a 14% lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events, including heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death, compared to those taking aspirin, during an average follow-up of 5.5 years.

“These results suggest that clopidogrel should be considered the preferred long-term antiplatelet medication for patients with established coronary artery disease,” the researchers said.

Clopidogrel is the generic name of the widely used blood clot preventer Plavix, sold by Bristol Myers Squibb BMY.N and Sanofi SASY.PA. Several companies sell generic clopidogrel including Aurobindo Pharma ARBN.NS, Sun Pharma SUN.NS and Teva Pharmaceuticals TEVA.TA.

Rates of anticoagulant-related side effects like ulcers and major bleeding were similar between the two drugs, dispelling concerns that clopidogrel might lead to more bleeding complications, the researchers said.

The researchers said their analysis included many types of patients and subgroups to ensure the findings, which were also published in The Lancet, applied broadly.

“Even patients who might respond less well to clopidogrel due to genetic or clinical factors still benefited from its use over aspirin,” the researchers said in a statement.

Because clopidogrel is widely available and inexpensive, the study’s findings have the potential to influence clinical guidelines worldwide and improve patient outcomes, the researchers said.

Recycled pacemakers improve access in low-income nations

Cardiac pacemaker devices can be reconditioned to provide new hope for patients in low- and middle-income countries, researchers said at the ESC meeting in Madrid.

In Kenya, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, Paraguay, Sierra Leone and Venezuela, 306 patients with a life expectancy of at least two years, a clear medical need for pacemaker therapy and no financial means to acquire one were randomly assigned to receive a reconditioned pacemaker or a new pacemaker.

The researchers’ primary concern was that reconditioned devices, which had been removed from other patients, might transmit infections when re-implanted.

A year after the pacemakers were implanted, the incidence of procedure-related infections was 1.6% for those in the reconditioned pacemaker group and 3.1% for those who got new devices. The results demonstrate that the older devices were non-inferior to new ones, the researchers said in a statement.

There were no device malfunctions in either group.

The study was conducted by doctors at the University of Michigan-based Project My Heart Your Heart, which collects pacemakers removed from cadavers by funeral directors.

“Patients in many low- and middle-income countries still have very limited access to cardiac pacing despite its routine use in higher-income countries,” study leader Dr. Thomas Crawford from the University of Michigan said in a statement.

“Indeed, access to pacemaker implantation is around 200-fold lower in Africa than in Europe," Crawford said.

Project My Heart Your Heart developed a comprehensive protocol for cleaning, functional testing and sterilizing reconditioned devices, and has U.S. approval for their export to countries whose governments have provided permission for pacemaker importation, he added.

(Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

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By Nancy Lapid

Aug 30 (Reuters) - A decades-old pill remains helpful for heart attack patients even with modern treatments that can prevent lasting damage to heart muscle, two large trials have shown.

Still unclear is whether all patients, or only some, benefit from so-called beta-blocker drugs, which are typically prescribed to everyone after a heart attack.

Two sharply contradictory reports were presented on Saturday at a large cardiology meeting in Madrid and published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

“It is not unusual for trials to yield different results,” said Dr. Borja Ibanez of Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III in Madrid, who led one of the trials.

“Somewhat uncommon is to see two trials with apparently divergent findings presented on the same day.”

Most important, Ibanez said, is the finding both teams agree on, which is that beta-blockers reduce the combined risk of another heart attack, heart failure, or death in patients without heart failure but with mildly impaired heart function.

The question is whether the pills are beneficial or useless for those with normally functioning hearts, who account for about 80% of patients after a first heart attack.

Beta-blocker manufacturers include Mylan, Novartis NOVN.S, Pfizer PFE.N, Abbott, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries TEVA.TA, Amneal Pharmaceuticals AMRX.O, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries SUN.NS, Lupin, ANI Pharmaceuticals ANIP.O, and Eagle Pharmaceuticals EGRX.PK.

The drugs work by inhibiting the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, thereby lowering heart rate and blood pressure, decreasing the workload on the heart and reducing its oxygen demand.

Both new trials involved heart attack survivors whose hearts were still contracting normally, that is, the left ventricle was pumping out at least 40% of its blood with each beat. Both trials followed patients for roughly 3.5 years.

Among 5,574 volunteers in the BETAMI–DANBLOCK study from Norway and Denmark, the drugs showed a clear benefit. Patients randomly assigned to receive beta-blockers had a 15% lower risk of death or major adverse cardiovascular event, particularly a repeat heart attack, compared to patients not taking these pills, investigators found.

But among the 8,438 participants in the REBOOT trial conducted in Italy and Spain, beta-blockers had no effect on the incidence of death from any cause, a repeat heart attack, or hospitalization for heart failure, according to a separate report.

Some of the difference may be due to the fact that patients didn't all receive the same beta-blockers, and the Scandinavian patients might have been more prone to adverse events because they were slightly older than patients in Spain and Italy and more of them had mild heart dysfunction, said Dr. Dan Atar of the University of Oslo, who led one of the trials.

Among female participants in REBOOT, those taking beta-blockers - particularly those with good heart function receiving higher doses – had more adverse outcomes than women not taking the drugs, researchers reported in the European Heart Journal.

In REBOOT, researchers did see a lower rate of new heart attacks, heart failure, or death with beta-blocker use by patients with mildly reduced heart function, as indicated by a left ventricular “ejection fraction” between 40% and 49%.

The effect in this subgroup was confirmed in an analysis of data pooled from REBOOT, BETAMI–DANBLOCK, and a Japanese trial, according to a report published in The Lancet.

The message for cardiologists, Ibanez said, is “We can now state with confidence that beta-blockers are beneficial” in patients with mildly impaired heart function, and “there remains reasonable uncertainty about their benefit” in patients with normally functioning hearts.

Atar said an analysis looking specifically at beta-blocker use by patients with normal heart function will be presented at a U.S. cardiology meeting in November.

(Reporting by Nancy Lapid; editing by Caroline Humer and Diane Craft)

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Adds details paragraph 3 onwards

July 31 (Reuters) - Sun Pharmaceutical Industries SUN.NS, India's largest drugmaker by revenue, reported a higher adjusted profit on Thursday, aided by strong domestic sales.

The Mumbai-based firm's consolidated profit before tax and exceptional items rose 16.6% to 39.91 billion rupees ($455.6 million) in the quarter ended June 30.

The drugmaker reported a one-time charge of 8.18 billion rupees in the first quarter related to the impairment of certain assets and the settlement of a legal dispute.

Accounting for the charge, profit fell nearly 20% on-year.

Total revenue grew 9.5% to 138.51 billion rupees, beating analysts' estimates of 136.51 billion rupees. The rise in revenue was supported by a 14% increase in sales in India, Sun Pharma's largest revenue-generating region.

The firm has been focusing on strengthening its portfolio of innovative drugs in dermatology, oncology and obesity therapy areas as it targets mid-to-high single-digit percentage revenue growth in the current fiscal year.

Sales from its high-margin global innovative segment, which includes drugs used to treat rare and complex chronic conditions such as hair loss and psoriasis, rose 16.9% and accounted for 19.3% of the total.

Its U.S. sales climbed 4% to 40.45 billion rupees. While India's generic drugmakers derive a significant share of revenue from the United States, pricing pressures due to stiff competition continue to weigh on profit margins.

($1 = 87.6000 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam in Hyderabad and Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

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July 21 (Reuters) - Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd SUN.NS:

• SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LTD - ILUMYA STUDIES MEET PRIMARY ENDPOINT IN PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS

• SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LTD - ILUMYA SHOWS SIGNIFICANT ACR20 IMPROVEMENTS AT WEEK 24

• SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LTD - RESULTS SUPPORT POTENTIAL US SUBMISSION FOR ILUMYA IN PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS

Source text: ID:nBSE56mL6Z

Further company coverage: SUN.NS

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July 17 (Reuters) - Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd SUN.NS:

• UNIT INCORPORATED IN CHINA

Source text: ID:nBSEc9SWhn

Further company coverage: SUN.NS

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July 14 (Reuters) - India's top drugmaker by revenue, Sun Pharma SUN.NS, on Monday launched its anti-baldness drug Leqselvi in the U.S., following settlement of a patent dispute with Incyte Corp INCY.O.

(Reporting by Manvi Pant; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)

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Updates paragraph 1, adds details on Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly

June 26 (Reuters) - India's drug regulator on Thursday approved the launch of pre-filled injector pens of Eli Lilly's LLY.N blockbuster weight-loss drug, Mounjaro, giving the company more options to compete with rival Novo Nordisk's NOVOb.CO recently launched Wegovy.

India, the world's most populous country, has high obesity rates and the second-highest number of people with type 2 diabetes. Around 11% of Indian adults are expected to become obese by 2035, according to the World Obesity Federation Atlas.

Here are the local and international drugmakers also eyeing the Indian market and looking to introduce rivals to Lilly's drug:

NOVO NORDISK

The Danish drugmaker launched its blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy in India on June 24, three months after Eli Lilly began marketing its rival product Mounjaro.

The active ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide, which is likely to go off-patent in 2026 in India.

Wegovy and Lilly's Mounjaro belong to the same class of treatments called GLP-1 agonists, which soared into popularity globally triggering a shortage of supply.

GLP-1 drugs mimic a gut hormone that helps control blood sugar levels and slow digestion, making people feel fuller for longer.

ELI LILLY

Lilly started selling Mounjaro in India in late March for diabetes and obesity, beating rival Novo to the market. The doses available were 2.5 mg and 5 mg vials.

On Thursday, Mounjaro KwikPen - for once-weekly use - was approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization for six dose strengths of 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg and 15 mg.

SUN PHARMA

Sun Pharmaceutical SUN.NS, India's largest drugmaker by revenue, is developing its own GLP-1 treatment, utreglutide, for weight loss and type 2 diabetes.

The drugmaker said earlier this month it expects to launch the drug in the next four to five years.

BIOCON

Indian drugmaker Biocon BION.NS is developing its own version of Novo's Wegovy, as the drug is set to lose exclusivity next year in emerging markets such as India, Brazil, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia.

ZYDUS LIFESCIENCES

India's Zydus Lifesciences ZYDU.NS is developing the generic version of Semaglutide and plans on launching the drug after its patent expires in India.

CIPLA

Cipla CIPL.NS, India's third-largest drugmaker by sales, is among the Indian drugmakers making cheaper versions of Novo's Wegovy.

Cipla has also said it is open to partnering with Lilly to market Mounjaro in India.

DR. REDDY'S

India's Dr. Reddy's REDY.NS has said it plans to launch generic versions of Semaglutide in all the markets as Novo's patent expires.

LUPIN

India's Lupin LUPN.NS is another generic drugmaker looking to grab a share of the burgeoning obesity treatment market with its own version of Novo's Wegovy.

NATCO, MANKIND PHARMA, AUROBINDO PHARMA

Media reports say India's Natco Pharma NATP.NS, Mankind Pharma MNKI.NS, Aurobindo Pharma ARBN.NS are also developing cheaper versions of Novo's Wegovy.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the reports.

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny and Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)

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May 30 (Reuters) - Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd SUN.NS:

• SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LTD - COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF CHECKPOINT THERAPEUTICS

Source text: ID:nBSEbCPfhB

Further company coverage: SUN.NS

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May 22 (Reuters) - Sun Pharmaceutical SUN.NS, India's largest drugmaker by revenue, reported a rise in adjusted quarterly profit on Thursday, driven by strong domestic demand for its drugs to treat rare diseases.

The Mumbai-based firm's consolidated profit before exceptional items and tax rose 24% to 36.16 billion rupees ($420.7 million) in the three months ended March 31.

($1 = 85.9500 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)

(([email protected]; 8800437922;))

May 16 (Reuters) - Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd SUN.NS:

• SUN PHARMA ANNOUNCES FDA APPROVAL OF NEXT GENERATION BLU-U® BLUE LIGHT PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY ILLUMINATOR FOR ACTINIC KERATOSIS

Source text: ID:nPn53DL9Ya

Further company coverage: SUN.NS

May 12 (Reuters) - Indian pharmaceutical stocks .NIPHARM shed 1.3% on Monday, even as the broader markets rose, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would sign an executive order to cut prescription prices to the level paid by other high-income countries, an amount he put at 30% to 80% less.

Eight of the 20 stocks on the pharmaceutical sub-index were in the red, while the benchmark Nifty 50 index .NSEI was trading 2.4% higher.

Sun Pharma, India's top drugmaker by revenue, dropped 5.4% to be the top loser on the Nifty 50 and the pharma index. Glenmark Pharma GLEN.NS and Cipla CIPL.NS declined 0.4% and 1.5%, respectively.

Trump said he would sign the executive order on Monday morning to pursue what is known as "most favored nation" pricing or international reference pricing.

The U.S. pays the most in the world for many prescription drugs, often nearly triple that of other developed nations. Trump has said he wants to close that spread, but has not publicly specified how and did not provide details.

Several Indian drugmakers get a significant chunk of their revenue from North America by selling cheaper versions of the latest drugs.

The U.S. imports nearly a third of Indian pharma products sold overseas.

India's pharma exports to the U.S. jumped 16% to about $9 billion last fiscal year, according to data from government-backed trade body Pharmexcil.

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)

(([email protected]; 8800437922;))

April 24 (Reuters) - Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd SUN.NS:

• SUN PHARMA - CO, MOEBIUS MEDICAL ANNOUNCE DUAL PUBLICATIONS ON MM-II'S PHASE 2B CLINICAL TRIAL

• SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LTD - PHASE 2B TRIAL SHOWS MM-II PROVIDES PAIN RELIEF FOR 26 WEEKS

Source text: ID:nBSEb3mspZ

Further company coverage: SUN.NS

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April 10 (Reuters) - Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd SUN.NS:

• SUN PHARMA - ORDER VACATING PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION ON LEQSELVI

• SUN PHARMA - U.S. COURT OF APPEALS RULED IN FAVOUR OF COMPANY

Source text: ID:nnAPN2QGGIC

Further company coverage: SUN.NS

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April 9 (Reuters) - Indian pharmaceutical stocks .NIPHARM fell 1.7% on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated plans to announce a "major" tariff on all pharmaceutical imports.

U.S. accounts for a third of India's overall pharma exports.

Trump also threatened the duties on Friday, after his first set of reciprocal tariffs earlier last week exempted pharma products -- a change in stance that had prompted a wild swing in pharma stocks.

On the day, all twenty constituents of the pharma index were lower, with the index dragging down the benchmark Nifty 50 .NSEI by about 0.52% as of 9:20 a.m. IST.

Gland Pharma GLAD.NS, Lupin LUPN.NS and Zydus Lifesciences ZYDU.NS were the top losers by percentage, down between 3% and 5%.

Sun Pharma SUN.NS and Cipla CIPL.NS, the top constituents by weight, fell 1.69% and 1.87%, respectively.

India's pharma exports to the U.S. mostly comprise generics, or cheaper versions of popular drugs. These currently attract almost no U.S. levies, while India imposes about 10% tax on U.S. pharma imports, according to industry experts.

The pharma index has fallen 14.4% this year.

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon and Ananta Agarwal in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)

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By Rishika Sadam

HYDERABAD, April 7 (Reuters) - Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk NOVOb.CO is looking at an early launch of its blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy in India to better compete with rival Eli Lilly LLY.N in the populous nation, two sources familiar with the plans told Reuters.

Novo, which had earlier planned for a 2026 launch of the drug, is now looking to begin selling Wegovy in India "this year, probably in the next few months," sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to the media.

"Novo's also assessing the stock situation to handle the demand in India. They want to avoid any shortage issues," one of the sources said.

The company's accelerated plan follows U.S. rival Eli Lilly's launch of its diabetes and obesity drug Mounjaro in India last month.

Reuters reported earlier that Novo's India team had been pushing the global headquarters for an early Wegovy launch.

Novo and Lilly have seen skyrocketing global demand for their innovative weight-loss drugs, with investor interest also boosting the drugmakers to among the world's most valuable companies.

The competing drugs belong to a class of therapies known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that help control blood sugar and slow digestion, making people feel fuller for longer.

Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo's Wegovy and diabetes medicine Ozempic, goes off patent in India in 2026, paving way for generic drugmakers to produce cheaper versions of the drugs.

Local drugmakers such as Sun Pharma SUN.NS, Cipla CIPL.NS and Dr Reddy's REDY.NS have been racing to build up supplies with an eye on a share of a global market analysts have estimated could be worth $150 billion annually in the next decade.

Novo declined to comment on Monday, but previously said Wegovy has been approved in India. It did not have a confirmed date for the medicine's India launch at the time.

"Novo also thinks that its brand names Ozempic, Wegovy have better penetration in the market, which would give them an edge," the other source said.

Still, Novo would need to offer the drug at a competitive price to Lilly's once-weekly Mounjaro injection, which costs about $50 for a 5 milligram vial, and $40 for a 2.5 mg vial, the lowest doses.

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam in Hyderabad and Maggie Fick in London; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

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By Kashish Tandon

April 4 (Reuters) - Indian pharmaceutical stocks .NIPHARM fell 4.4% on Friday, wiping out gains from the previous session, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened steep tariffs on the sector.

"Pharma (tariffs) is going to be starting to come in, I think, at a level that you haven't really seen before," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

"That will be announced in the near future, and is under review right now," Trump said.

The index was among the top sectoral losers by percentage on the benchmark Nifty 50 .NSEI, which was down about 1.2% at 11:25 a.m. IST.

All 20 constituents of the pharma index were trading in the red, with Sun Pharma SUN.NS, Dr Reddy's REDY.NS and Cipla CIPL.NS being the biggest drags.

Lupin LUPN.NS, Aurobindo Pharma ARBN. and Ipca Laboratories IPCA.NS fell about 6.5% each, and were the top losers by percentage.

Trump imposed a 10% tariff on most U.S. imports earlier this week, as well as much higher levies on dozens of rivals and allies alike, but temporarily exempted some goods, including pharmaceuticals, benefiting major exporters including India, Japan and Ireland.

Pharma stocks were a rare bright spot on Thursday as global drugmakers gained on relief that their products remained temporarily shielded from the tariffs.

However, executives and analysts had warned it was premature to celebrate as levies were still likely to come.

"If these tariffs are introduced, the manufacturers will have no choice but to pass on the impact to consumers," said Vishal Manchanda, an analyst at Systematix Institutional Equities.

Indian drugmakers have been on a 'wait and watch' mode and also raised concerns on the difficulty in setting up manufacturing in the U.S., a move that would increase their costs.

Trump in his Wednesday address had predicted pharma companies would come "roaring back" to the U.S, and warned that "they got a big tax to pay" if they don't.

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K)

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April 3 (Reuters) - Shares of Indian drugmakers surged 4% on Thursday, in contrast to the drop in the broader stock market, after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration exempted pharmaceutical products from the list of imports hit by reciprocal tariffs.

The pharma sub-index .NIPHARM was the only one among the 13 major sectors that was trading higher. The benchmark Nifty 50 .NSEI was down 0.74%.

Trump imposed a 26% reciprocal tariff on Indian imports as part of his wider plan to impose a 10% baseline tariff on all imports from April 5, but the duties do not apply to certain goods, including pharmaceuticals.

The U.S. imports nearly a third of Indian pharma products sold overseas. India's pharma exports to the U.S. jumped 16% to about $9 billion last fiscal year, according to data from government-backed trade body Pharmexcil.

On the day, Dr Reddy's REDY.NS climbed 6% and was the top gainer on the benchmark Nifty 50 index. Gland Pharma GLAD.NS surged 12% and was the top gainer among pharma stocks.

Cipla CIPL.NS and Sun Pharma SUN.NS rose 4% each.

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)

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Updates March 20 story with Novo Nordisk comment on Wegovy launch timing in paragraph 11

By Rishika Sadam

HYDERABAD, March 21 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly launched its blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss drug Mounjaro in India on Thursday, beating rival Novo Nordisk for a much-awaited entry into the world's most populous country grappling with increasing rates of obesity and diabetes.

U.S.-based Lilly LLY.N and Danish Novo Nordisk NOVOb.CO have seen skyrocketing global demand for their innovative weight-loss drugs, with investor interest also boosting the drugmakers' valuations.

Mounjaro, a once-weekly injection approved by India's drug regulator, is priced at 4,375 rupees ($50.67) for a 5 mg vial and 3,500 rupees ($40.54) for a 2.5 mg vial, its lowest doses, the company told Reuters exclusively. Its highest dose is 15 mg.

A patient in India may have to spend about $200 a month when taking a weekly dose of 5 mg, subject to doctor's prescription.

Mounjaro carries a list price of $1,086.37 for each monthly fill in the U.S., but the amount patients pay largely depends on their insurance plan. Lilly also offers 5 mg, 7.5 mg and 10 mg vials of Zepbound, with prices around $499 for a month's supply if customers pay directly in cash without any third-party entities.

Chemically known as tirzepatide, Mounjaro is currently sold in the UK and Europe under the same brand name for both diabetes and weight loss. It is sold as Zepbound for obesity in the U.S.

Lilly, however, said that the pricing in different geographies cannot be compared given significant variation in healthcare systems, economies and reimbursement policies in each country.

"(Mounjaro) launch is ahead of Novo Nordisk and the first mover advantage should help ... but pricing seems high (for the Indian market). At the highest dose, a patient will have to spend close to 700,000 rupees (around $8,100) per annum," Vishal Manchanda, analyst at Systematix Institutional Equities said.

Novo's weight-loss drug, Wegovy, can cost non-insured U.S. patients more than $1,000 a month.

Novo's India team has been pushing the global leadership to launch Wegovy as early as 2025 in the country as opposed to the company's target of a 2026 launch.

The drugmaker told Reuters that Wegovy has already been approved in India, but said it did not have a confirmed date for the medicine's launch there.

The company's shares were down 0.6% at 1145 GMT, underperforming the broader European market .STOXX. Shares of U.S.-based Lilly rose as much as 2.07% to $854.39 on Thursday.

Novo's stock has fallen over 12% so far this year, while Lilly's has jumped 8%.

Novo is not the only competition Lilly will have to confront in India. Local drugmakers such as Sun Pharma SUN.NS, Cipla CIPL.NS, Dr. Reddy's REDY.NS and Lupin LUPN.NS have been racing to make generic versions of these drugs to grab a share of the global market estimated to be worth $150 billion in the next decade.

The active ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide, which is likely to go off-patent in 2026 in India.

"The dual burden of obesity and type 2 diabetes is rapidly emerging as a major public health challenge in India," said President and General Manager Winselow Tucker at Lilly India.

Obesity and diabetes rates in India, a country of more than 1.4 billion people, have been steadily climbing. The number of adults with diabetes is set to increase to over 124 million by 2045 from 74.2 million in 2021, according to International Diabetes Federation.

Meanwhile, a government survey conducted between 2019 and 2021 showed that 24% of women and nearly 23% of men between the ages of 15 and 49 were either overweight or obese, up from 20.6% of women and 19% of men in 2015-2016.

Wegovy and Novo's diabetes drug, Ozempic — which has the same main ingredient — and Mounjaro, belong to a class of therapies known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that help control blood sugar and slow digestion, making people feel fuller for longer.

($1 = 86.3425 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam in Hyderabad, Maggie Fick in London and Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Manvi Pant in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman, Alan Barona and Tomasz Janowski)

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March 20 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly LLY.N on Thursday launched in India its diabetes and weight-loss drug, Mounjaro, which has already clocked in over $20 billion in global sales since its initial U.S. launch in 2022.

India, the world's most populous country, has high obesity rates and the second-highest number of people with type 2 diabetes. Around 11% of Indian adults are expected to become obese by 2035, according to the World Obesity Federation Atlas.

Here are the local and international drugmakers also eyeing the Indian market and looking to introduce rivals to Lilly's drug:

NOVO NORDISK

The Danish drugmaker NOVOb.CO had said it aims to launch its blockbuster weight-loss drug, Wegovy, in India by 2026.

The active ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide, which is likely to go off-patent in 2026 in India.

Wegovy and Lilly's Mounjaro belong to the same class of treatments called GLP-1 agonists, which soared into popularity globally triggering a shortage of supply. GLP-1 drugs mimic a gut hormone that helps control blood sugar levels and slow digestion, making people feel fuller for longer.

SUN PHARMA

Sun Pharmaceutical SUN.NS, India's largest drugmaker by revenue, is developing its own GLP-1 treatment, utreglutide, for weight loss and type 2 diabetes.

The drugmaker said earlier this month it expects to launch the drug in the next four to five years.

BIOCON

Indian drugmaker Biocon BION.NS is developing its own version of Novo's Wegovy, as the drug is set to lose exclusivity next year in emerging markets such as India, Brazil, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia.

ZYDUS LIFESCIENCES

India's Zydus Lifesciences ZYDU.NS is developing the generic version of Semaglutide and plans on launching the drug after its patent expires in India.

CIPLA

Cipla CIPL.NS, India's third-largest drugmaker by sales, is among the Indian drugmakers making cheaper versions of Novo's Wegovy.

Cipla has also said it is open to partnering with Lilly to market Mounjaro in India.

DR. REDDY'S

India's Dr. Reddy's REDY.NS has said it plans to launch generic versions of Semaglutide in all the markets as Novo's patent expires.

LUPIN

India's Lupin LUPN.NS is another generic drugmaker looking to grab a share of the burgeoning obesity treatment market with its own version of Novo's Wegovy.

NATCO, MANKIND PHARMA, AUROBINDO PHARMA

Media reports say India's Natco Pharma NATP.NS, Mankind Pharma MNKI.NS, Aurobindo Pharma ARBN.NS are also developing cheaper versions of Novo's Wegovy.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the reports.

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)

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