Mumbai, Jan. 23 -- Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd has received the Drugs Controller General of India's (DCGI) approval to make and market a generic version of semaglutide injection for weight management, it said on Friday, sharing its plans to launch it in March once the drug's patent expires.

The product will be sold in five doses, similar to the innovator Novo Nordisk's drug Wegovy, under the brand name Noveltreat.

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, indicated for chronic weight management in adults. The drug loses patent exclusivity in India in March, and several generic drugmakers are preparing to launch their versions.

On 21 January, rival Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd's management told reporters th...