New Delhi, Dec. 2 -- The Delhi High Court on Tuesday allowed domestic drugmaker Dr Reddy's Laboratories to manufacture and export its generic version of semaglutide to countries where the patent-holder Novo Nordisk does not have patent protection.

Notably, semaglutide is the compound behind the Danish drugmaker's blockbuster weight-loss drug Ozempic.

A single-judge bench of Justice Manmeet Singh Arora noted prima facie merit in Dr Reddy's petition challenging the validity of Novo Nordisk's patent, according to two lawyers close to the development, who requested anonymity.

"This is a significant development as that forms the basis to not grant relief to Novo Nordisk," one of the lawyers told Mint.

Both Dr Reddy's and Novo Nordisk decli...