Hyderabad: Dr Reddy’s Laboratories is positioning itself to enter the lucrative GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) drug market, with plans to launch generic versions of blockbuster diabetes and obesity drugs like Semaglutide as innovator patents expire from 2026 onwards.
“We are registering the products around the world, including India, and the first few generic versions will start rolling out as soon as they go off-patent. We have already made the products for testing but cannot launch until patent expiration,” GV Prasad, co-chairman and managing director, Dr Reddy’s said.

The company is strategically targeting markets where patents expire earliest, with India’s launch timeline slightly later than Canada and Brazil, he indicated at the Nasscom GCC Summit here.
The Hyderabad-based pharma major is looking at a portfolio of around 15 GLP-1 drugs that are used to treat diabetes and obesity, which it plans to roll out at various points in time based on patent expiry in different markets globally.
He also highlighted the need for both innovator companies and generic manufacturers in the pharmaceutical industry. “While innovators are crucial for advancing medicine and developing new drugs, generic companies ensure affordability and drive continued innovation. Without generic competition, innovator companies might price their products very high indefinitely.”
“And no company can have monopoly rights forever,” Prasad said, pointing out that even the development of generic alternatives comes with significant challenges, particularly in terms of research and regulatory compliance. He said while drug discovery and innovation can cost over $1 billion, even generic drug development can cost between $2-3 million per product.
“Clinical development remains the major bottleneck, accounting for 80% of the total cost in bringing a new product to market. While we have new tools for monitoring and data management, the actual process of dosing patients and testing hasn’t changed significantly,” he said.
Talking about the increasing presence of global pharma majors in Hyderabad with their global capability centres (GCCs), Prasad said this has created a problem for pharma companies as they absorb their talent. He said the industry and his company have been leveraging technologies like AI and robotics to become more productive, effective, and reduce costs.