Emcure Pharmaceuticals shares surged 3.14% to ₹1,919.70 on the NSE during Tuesday's intraday trade following the regulatory approval announcement. According to Business Standard, the stock continued to trade higher, with shares at ₹1,914.20, up 2.85% from the previous close at 2:00 PM. The benchmark Nifty50 index was trading at 24,172, down 65 points or 0.26%, highlighting the positive investor sentiment around the MASH approval. The stock had previously declined 4.15% to ₹1,857.80 following the initial announcement, but the latest market response reflects renewed optimism about the company's expanded treatment portfolio.
Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd announced that its co-marketed brand Poviztra will now be available for the treatment of fatty liver disease, following the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation's (CDSCO) approval of Wegovy for the treatment of non-cirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in adults with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis (F2-F3). According to Business Standard, the approval enables Emcure and its subsidiaries to offer the new indication through Poviztra, expanding access to innovator semaglutide for patients living with a progressive liver disease that has long faced limited treatment options. Poviztra is manufactured and imported from Novo Nordisk's European manufacturing facility and contains innovator rDNA-origin semaglutide. This follows the committee recommendation by the CDSCO's Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on Endocrinology and Metabolism, which had cleared the drug for adults with noncirrhotic MASH with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis, at stages F2 to F3, during a meeting held on April 23, 2026.
The approval establishes Wegovy as the first and only GLP-1 receptor agonist cleared in India for treating non-cirrhotic Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) in adults with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis. As reported by Business Standard, this makes Wegovy the first GLP-1 RA approved both globally and in India for this specific liver disease indication, alongside diet and lifestyle changes. The drug is already approved in multiple markets for weight management, and had previously secured MASH approvals abroad, including in the US in August 2025, where it became the first and only GLP-1 receptor agonist approved to treat adults with MASH with moderate to advanced liver scarring, excluding cirrhosis, and in Canada, where it received conditional marketing authorization as the first and only treatment for adults with non-cirrhotic MASH. According to Novo Nordisk India MD Vikrant Shrotriya, this approval is an important milestone giving doctors and patients a new option for people at risk of MASH while also helping to address obesity and related heart and metabolic diseases. Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd CEO & MD Satish Mehta commented that the approval for MASH marks an important milestone for patients living with a serious and often underdiagnosed liver disease, emphasizing the company's commitment to bringing globally validated, innovative therapies to patients in India.
MASH is a liver disease that develops when excess fat accumulates in the liver, leading to chronic inflammation, fibrosis and progressive liver damage. According to Business Standard, MASH, formerly known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is caused by a buildup of fat in the liver that can lead to inflammation and liver damage, and is part of a broader spectrum of fatty liver disease. Company officials told Business Standard that one in four Indians live with fatty liver disease, or MASH, according to recent epidemiological studies, highlighting the sizeable patient population and unmet medical need. The burden of MASH continues to rise in India, but treatment options are still severely limited, with people with MASH facing a higher risk of serious liver complications and heart-related disease. As reported by Novo Nordisk India MD Vikrant Shrotriya, this approval is particularly important as it addresses the growing burden of MASH in India while providing a new treatment option for people at risk of the disease. MASH is closely linked with obesity, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders, and is often asymptomatic until advanced stages, making timely diagnosis and intervention critical for effective treatment.
The approved indication requires Wegovy to be used in combination with reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity for effective treatment. The approval was based on Novo's randomised, two-part ESSENCE trial, which included 1,197 participants and demonstrated significant clinical benefits. According to Business Standard, 63% of patients on Wegovy saw resolution of steatohepatitis (fatty liver), with 37% seeing a reduction in liver fibrosis. Additionally, one in three patients achieved both resolution of steatohepatitis and improvement in liver fibrosis, highlighting semaglutide's potential to address the underlying disease in addition to its established metabolic benefits. The treatment requires careful monitoring and adherence to dietary and lifestyle modifications for optimal results.
The approval creates significant opportunities for Emcure Pharmaceuticals, which has an exclusive partnership with Novo Nordisk to distribute semaglutide in India under the brand name Poviztra. Following the announcement, Emcure Pharmaceuticals shares ended at ₹1,857.80, down by ₹73.95, or 4.15% on the BSE, according to CNBC TV18. Emcure has strategically positioned itself by reducing Poviztra's starting monthly dose price to ₹3,999 from the earlier ₹8,790, representing a 55% price slash, effective April 3, 2026. This aggressive pricing strategy, combined with patent exclusivity having expired in March 2026, positions Emcure strongly against incoming generic competitors in both obesity and liver care segments. The company's FY26 consolidated revenue from operations stood at ₹9,204 crore, representing a growth of 16.6% year-on-year, while operating EBITDA reached ₹1,789 crore, reflecting an 80 basis point expansion in margins to 19.4%. With the opening of the MASH treatment market in India representing a major expansion for the domestic metabolic care industry, Emcure's deeply entrenched distribution network in gastroenterology and hepatology positions it as the immediate beneficiary, driving higher prescription volumes. Through its subsidiary Zuventus Healthcare, Emcure will support MASH awareness, diagnosis and treatment through its gastroenterology and hepatology portfolio.
