Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories on Tuesday announced the launch of its oral semaglutide biosimilar tablet, branded as Obeda®, for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in India. The Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical major said the launch strengthens its position in the growing GLP-1 therapies segment following its recent generic semaglutide injection launches in India and Canada.
The company said Obeda® is available in 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg tablet strengths for once-daily oral use. The tablets are priced at Rs 99, Rs 135 and Rs 225 per tablet respectively. Oral semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, is prescribed along with diet and exercise to improve glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes.
According to the ICMR INDIAB study cited by the company, India has more than 101 million adults living with diabetes, while around 136 million people are prediabetic. Dr. Reddy’s said its oral semaglutide biosimilar received approval from the CDSCO after a Phase III clinical study involving 288 participants in India demonstrated comparable efficacy and safety to the innovator drug.
M.V. Ramana, Chief Executive Officer, Global Generics at Dr. Reddy’s, said the launch would help improve access to advanced diabetes treatment while offering patients greater flexibility and affordability in therapy options.
In Kolkata, demand for advanced diabetes management drugs has been rising steadily in eastern India due to increasing lifestyle-related disorders. Pharmacists in Kolkata noted that oral formulations are often preferred by many patients over injectable therapies because of convenience, and the launch of a comparatively affordable oral semaglutide option could improve accessibility across urban and semi-urban markets in the region.
