Delhi HC Bars Dr Reddy's from Selling Olymviq Over Similarity with Novo Nordisk's Ozempic

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed Dr. Reddy's Laboratories to temporarily stop selling its diabetes drug marketed under the brand name "Olymviq" until Friday, observing that the name is prima facie phonetically similar to Novo Nordisk's well-known drug "Ozempic".

The matter arises from a trademark infringement suit filed by Novo Nordisk against Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. The Danish drugmaker has approached the court seeking to restrain the Indian company from launching a generic version of semaglutide under the brand name “Olymviq,” arguing that the name closely resembles “Ozempic” both phonetically and structurally, which could potentially confuse patients during purchase.

The plaintiffs, Novo Nordisk A/S & Anr., were represented by senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Amit Sibal, along with a team comprising Hemant Singh, Mamta Jha, Rishabh Paliwal, Shreyansh Gupta, Sanchit Sharma, Saksham Dhingra, Smriti Nair, Ankit Handa and Amit Bhandari, Advocates.

The defendant, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited, was represented by senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, along with Ranjan Narula, Shakti Priyan Nair, Parth Bajaj, Krisna Gambhir, Shreya Sethi and Riya Kumar, Advocates.

Novo Nordisk emphasized that “Ozempic” is a distinctive, coined trademark that has been in use since 2014 across more than 100 countries, establishing it as a widely recognized brand.

In line with the news reported by ET, representing Novo Nordisk, senior counsel AM Singhvi contended that allowing the continued sale of “Olymviq” would saturate the market and create third-party rights, thereby complicating any future enforcement of restrictions. The company reiterated that the resemblance between the two brand names could mislead consumers and dilute the identity of its established product, “Ozempic.”

Justice Jyoti Singh remarked while addressing senior counsel Sandeep Sethi, appearing for Dr. Reddy’s, “According to me, there is a phonetic similarity and in a pharma (case), it's a threshold which I would not like to cross."

“Freeze your hands on an as-is-where-is basis. That’s it. Nobody moves it. The distributor doesn’t sell it into the market. You don’t send it to the distributor if it’s agreeable,” the judge instructed, effectively pausing further distribution and sale of the product.

During the hearing, the court also suggested that Dr. Reddy’s may consider modifying or abandoning the “Olymviq” brand name and instead explore alternatives such as “Obeda,” a name already used by the company for its diabetes medication.

“Make a little change in the name here and there, and both of you live peacefully,” Justice Singh added.

As per the order dated March 25, 2026, the case has been listed for further hearing on March 27, 2026, reports the ET.

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