By Rishika Sadam

HYDERABAD, India, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk will launch its blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic in India this month, three sources familiar with the matter said, as it ​seeks to strengthen its foothold in the world's most populous nation.

India has the second-highest number ‌of people with type 2 diabetes after China and rising obesity rates, making it a critical battleground for drugmakers vying for a share ‌of the fast-growing weight-loss treatment market, which analysts expect to reach $150 billion annually by the end of the decade.

Ozempic, a once-weekly injectable approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2017 for type 2 diabetes, has become a global bestseller and is widely used off-label for weight loss due to its appetite-suppressing effects. Novo's Wegovy, which ⁠like Ozempic is semaglutide, is approved ‌for weight loss.

"Novo wants Ozempic in the market before generics bring out cheaper versions," one of the sources said, adding the launch could happen within the next three to ‍four weeks.

Novo in September said it secured Indian regulatory approval to import and sell Ozempic and hoped to launch as soon as possible, but did not immediately respond to requests for comment on an updated timeline or the drug's pricing.

The ​move comes as Wegovy faces stiff competition from U.S. rival Eli Lilly, whose Mounjaro, which is approved ‌for diabetes and weight loss, became India's top-selling drug by value in October, according to Pharmarack data.

LILLY HOLD LEAD, GENERICS ON THE HORIZON

Lilly sold 262,000 doses of Mounjaro in October, compared with 26,000 doses of Novo's Wegovy, which entered the market in June.

Last month, Novo cut Wegovy's price in India by up to 37% ahead of the March 2026 expiration of its patent on semaglutide, which will open the door to cheaper generics.

India's ⁠generic drugmakers including Sun Pharma, Cipla, Dr Reddy's and Lupin have ​been developing their own versions of semaglutide to get in ​on the weight-loss windfall.

Novo already has a strong foothold in India's diabetes market through its Rybelsus semaglutide tablets and other products, Systematix Institutional Equities analyst Vishal Manchanda said, adding that ‍Novo will be better poised ⁠to push Ozempic because of its strong brand reputation in the diabetes therapy area.

"There is a possibility that Ozempic could be prescribed for those suffering with infertility, sleep apnea and looking to shed ⁠some weight," Manchanda said.

Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro belong to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists originally developed for diabetes, but ‌which mimic a hormone that also slows digestion and helps people feel full longer.

(Reporting by ‌Rishika Sadam; Editing by Dhanya Skariachan and Bill Berkrot)