Zydus to join GLP-1 rush with a reusable jab

Zydus Lifesciences’ plan to launch reusable semaglutide injections in India following the medication’s patent expiry marks the next phase of an intensifying race among weight loss drugmakers, one that is increasingly playing out across advertising, influencer culture and disease awareness campaigns.

The Ahmedabad based company has received regulatory approval to manufacture and market semaglutide for type 2 diabetes and obesity, with a launch expected once the patent expires in March 2026. 

The therapy will be introduced under three brands: Semaglyn, Mashema, and Alterme. They will be delivered through a reusable pen device designed to allow patients to select varying dose strengths from a single cartridge rather than switching between multiple single use pens.

Zydus plans to offer the injection in a 15 mg/3 ml prefilled cartridge format. The company has said the reusable delivery system could help simplify dosing and potentially improve treatment adherence, even as more domestic players prepare to enter the category.

A Mint report states rival drugmakers including Sun Pharma and Dr Reddy’s are also preparing day one entries, while Eris Lifesciences' partnership with Natco Pharma and Cipla's and Emcure's distribution deals with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, highlight how crowded the category is becoming.

Globally, GLP 1 brands have begun investing heavily in culturally visible advertising moments. During this year’s Super Bowl, multiple weight loss drug advertisers leaned into celebrity endorsements and storytelling aimed at reducing stigma and reframing obesity as a health issue rather than a lifestyle failure.

In India, however, strict regulations prohibit direct to consumer promotion of prescription medicines. This has forced marketers to rely on disease awareness campaigns and indirect brand building.

Mounjaro parent Eli Lilly’s recent print initiative, for instance, avoided naming any specific product, instead positioning obesity as a condition that should be addressed through science and medical consultation. The campaign’s goal was to prime audiences for a category that cannot be advertised directly.

Read: Aishwarya Mohanraj names Mounjaro, spotlighting GLP-1’s rise

Influencers too are increasingly shaping public discourse around GLP 1 drugs. Comedian and creator Aishwarya Mohanraj’s disclosure that she used Mounjaro injections for weight loss marked a rare moment where an Indian public figure openly named a GLP 1 therapy.

Her video illustrated how influencer storytelling can accelerate category awareness and education in ways formal advertising cannot. By discussing side effects, cost and medical supervision, the creator framed the injections as part of a broader health journey rather than a quick fix.

Cover image: Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash