Overview
- India’s drug regulator, which disclosed Tuesday it had inspected 49 pharmacies, warehouses, and wellness clinics, warned violators of licence cancellations, fines, and prosecution for unauthorised GLP‑1 sales and promotion.
- After Friday’s patent expiry for semaglutide, dozens of Indian drugmakers rushed in with branded generics, rapidly expanding supply of the diabetes and weight‑loss medicine.
- Prices have plunged by roughly 50% to 90%, with examples ranging from about ₹1,250 to ₹4,200 per month for injectables from Natco, Alkem, Zydus, Sun Pharma, Dr Reddy’s, Glenmark, Torrent, and others.
- The Health Ministry reaffirmed a March 10 advisory that bans surrogate advertising and said semaglutide is prescription‑only for endocrinologists and internal‑medicine specialists, with some indications for cardiologists.
- Doctors and new research flagged risks without close monitoring, noting common gastrointestinal side effects and evidence linking treatment interruption to higher cardiovascular events, while experts also cautioned on cold‑chain and device quality.