Novo strengthens India as an R&D partner, continuing to expand its obesity and diabetes pipeline

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Highlights

Novo considers India an R&D partner and a key clinical trial market as it expands its pipeline of obesity and diabetes products.
The company will launch new obesity products from 2027 to 2030, including Cagrisema (in regulatory filing), setagantide (in Phase 3) and cangrelatide.
The Wegovy tablet has an 85 percent share of the U.S. market, while AI partnerships (OpenAI, Anthropic) have accelerated research and productivity.

This article was translated from the original. Read the original version by our correspondent here.

Research role and product pipeline in India

In an interview with Forbes India, Novo's Executive Vice President, R&D and Chief Scientific Officer Martin Holst Lange said India is an integral part of the company's growth strategy, as there is substantial unmet treatment demand in both obesity and diabetes. According to him, the company includes Indian participants in many of its clinical trials, reflecting its commitment to making products available in India.

Lange said the company views India not merely as a commercial market but as a development partner in areas such as obesity, diabetes, blood disorders, haemophilia and sickle cell disease. He said India's qualified doctors and large patient base enable faster trial recruitment and generate high-quality data, helping drive innovation.

The company is advancing its obesity drug portfolio beyond Wegovy and plans to launch new products in 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030. According to Lange, Cagrisema is currently in regulatory filing, while setagantide is in Phase 3 and cangrelatide is also being developed for patients who need relatively less weight loss and fewer side effects.

Global competition, patents and AI use

According to the company, the Wegovy tablet was launched first in the U.S. and currently holds an 85 percent share of the tablet market, while it has so far launched in three countries outside the U.S., with Mexico as the next market. Lange gave no timeline for the launch in India, but said the company is preparing to maintain its market position even after patent expiry by building a broader range of new products.

According to him, Novo considers itself the world's largest peptide manufacturer and a major insulin provider, making manufacturing capacity a competitive advantage as well. He said the company believes new products can remain on the market even after patent expiry, particularly when the pipeline includes options with additional benefits such as greater weight loss, cardiovascular indications and pain management.

On the AI front, Lange said the company has strategic partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic and uses several platforms, including Claude, in research activities. According to him, AI increases speed, depth and productivity in target discovery, target validation, molecule discovery, molecule validation and clinical workflows, but human expertise remains central to final scientific understanding.

Private capital interest in IP-based deep-tech manufacturing companies in India is accelerating, as government incentives, R&D funds and schemes such as PLI support investment in emerging industrial sectors, including space, semiconductors, electronics, defence and biotech. Our previous report noted that investors are betting on companies developing proprietary processes and intellectual property through R&D, advanced production capabilities and technologies such as AI/robotics, with long-term growth in mind.

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