Sun Pharma Agrees to Halt India Sales of Semaglutide After Delhi HC Records Patent Undertaking
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday recorded a categorical undertaking from Sun Pharma that it will not market or sell its semaglutide product in India until the expiry of Novo Nordisk's patent.
Semaglutide powers Novo Nordisk's blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, which have ignited worldwide demand for diabetes and weight-loss therapy.
Following this assurance, the Court permitted Sun Pharma to manufacture and export semaglutide solely to jurisdictions where no conflicting Novo Nordisk patent exists. The undertaking was recorded in the ongoing suit Novo Nordisk vs. Sun Pharma, where the Danish innovator has accused the Indian drugmaker of infringing its semaglutide patent.
Earlier, the Medical Dialogues Team had reported that Novo Nordisk approached the Delhi High Court to restrain Sun Pharmaceutical from dealing, directly or indirectly, in semaglutide, the core molecule powering its global blockbuster Ozempic. The company has sought a restraint on Sun Pharma from handling either the API or any product derived from it.
In continuation to the legal battle over Semaglutide patent, Novo Nordisk filed new lawsuit against Sun Pharma, wherein the case was brought before Justice Tejas Karia, who observed the similarities with the previous Dr. Reddy's Laboratories case and moved the case to Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora's bench.
During the hearing, when Sun Pharma attempted to rely on a December 2 ruling in a related case involving the same patent, Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora firmly reminded counsel that the benefit of that judgment came with strict compliance conditions.
The judge reiterated, “Export to countries in which they don’t have patents. That is the affidavit in that matter,” and instructed Sun Pharma to submit an affidavit within two weeks to formally affirm this undertaking.
Sun Pharma also acknowledged that it is already manufacturing the drug. The Court further required the company to submit quarterly account statements, detailing export and other relevant figures, up to March 2026, mirroring directions previously issued in the earlier suit, reports Bar and Bench.
