Eris Lifesciences has entered the race to commercialize semaglutide in India through a strategic partnership with Natco Pharma, marking a major push by the company to expand its position in the fast-growing diabetes and metabolic-care market. The collaboration follows Natco's recent approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to manufacture generic semaglutide, setting up a planned launch in March 2026. As reported by Upstox, Natco Pharma received approval for Semaglutide from CDSCO to manufacture and market generic Semaglutide Injection in India, with the company launching the product in the India market in March 2026. This partnership reflects Eris's continued commitment to strengthening its diabetes franchise with innovative and high-impact therapies, with the company well-positioned to drive rapid adoption and enhance patient access in India. Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, has emerged globally as a transformative therapy in the management of Type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management driven by robust clinical outcomes in glycemic control and weight reduction.
**The patents of Novo Nordisk's Ozempic are expected to expire in India in March, potentially opening the market for the entry of 7-10 generic players, leading to a drop in monthly treatment costs from over ₹10,000–₹12,000 to approximately ₹3,000–₹4,000. According to Upstox, analysts say that with Natco Pharma getting approval for manufacturing Semaglutide in the country, it will launch the product at a much cheaper price compared to Ozempic and Wegovy. Currently, Ozempic is priced at ₹8,800-₹11,175 per month while Wegovy costs around ₹10,850-₹16,400 per month. The global semaglutide market is projected to expand sharply, with IQVIA estimates valuing the market between $34 billion and $47 billion over the 2025–2032 period, driven by rising obesity rates, increasing diabetes prevalence and expanding regulatory approvals across new indications. GLP-1 drug sales have already crossed ₹1,000 crore in less than a year of launches, demonstrating the significant market potential.
Natco Pharma shares have jumped as much as 11.45% to hit an intraday high of ₹990 on the National Stock Exchange, with the stock advancing as much as 4.78% in intraday deals on Wednesday, February 25. As reported by Upstox, as of 10:48 am, Natco Pharma shares traded 3.11% higher at ₹974, outperforming the NIFTY Smallcap 100 index which was up 0.77%. The positive investor sentiment reflects confidence in the strategic collaboration's potential to capitalize on the upcoming semaglutide market opportunity. Eris Lifesciences gained nearly 4% to ₹1,402.50 apiece, marking its third consecutive session of gains in the previous trading session. With India witnessing a growing diabetic population and rising awareness around obesity management, GLP-1 therapies represent a "high-growth opportunity within the metabolic segment".
The collaboration brings together the commercial reach of Eris and the manufacturing and regulatory capabilities of Natco Pharma, which has built expertise in complex formulations. As reported by Mint, the arrangement will initially focus on Type 2 diabetes management but could expand with growing clinical use of GLP-1 therapies in broader metabolic health. According to The Economic Times, the alliance expands Eris's diabetes care portfolio with a high-impact, next-generation treatment by combining Eris's strong commercial network with Natco's proven production capabilities. Amit Bakshi, Chairman & Managing Director of Eris Lifesciences, stated that the partnership reflects the company's continued commitment to strengthening its diabetes franchise with innovative and high-impact therapies, with Eris well-positioned to drive adoption through its commercial scale and deep relationships with endocrinologists, diabetologists and physicians. Eris has a strong presence in diabetology with a wide specialist reach, including its recent long-term deal with Biocon in 2024 to acquire its domestic branded formulations business, including insulin products.
The semaglutide market is witnessing significant deal activity ahead of the drug's patent expiry. According to Mint, OneSource Pharma announced a partnership with Hikma to commercialise generic semaglutide in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, while Ajanta Pharma announced a deal with Biocon to commercialise the drug in several African and Asian markets in December. Dr Reddy's has a partnership with OneSource and is planning to supply to other domestic partners, as reported during its Q3FY26 press conference in January. Cipla and Emcure have announced distribution deals with innovators Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, respectively, demonstrating the competitive landscape as companies with different strengths join hands to gain ground in the highly competitive market. As reported by The Economic Times, the collaboration builds on both companies' complementary strengths: Eris's robust commercial and diabetes franchise presence, and Natco's manufacturing and regulatory prowess in complex formulations.
Eris Lifesciences posted a 19% year-on-year growth in net profit to ₹99.7 crore for the third quarter of FY26, compared to ₹83.7 crore in the year-ago period. According to Upstox, its revenue from operations stood at ₹807 crore for the reporting quarter, marking a 10% YoY increase from ₹732 crore in the December FY26 quarter. The company has a total market capitalisation of ₹18,739.36 crore as of February 24, 2026, according to data on the NSE.
