Ahmedabad-based Eris Lifesciences has announced a strategic alliance with Natco Pharma to enter India’s rapidly expanding diabetes therapy market by commercialising semaglutide. The company disclosed the development on Tuesday.

The move follows Natco receiving regulatory clearance from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) on February 14 to manufacture a generic version of semaglutide. The companies are now preparing for a commercial launch targeted for March 2026.

In a stock exchange filing, Eris stated that the partnership combines its strong marketing footprint in the diabetes segment with Natco’s expertise in manufacturing and navigating complex regulatory pathways.

The therapy will focus on treating Type-2 diabetes, addressing growing demand within India’s broader metabolic care space.

Amit Bakshi, Chairman and Managing Director of Eris Lifesciences, described semaglutide as one of the most important recent breakthroughs in metabolic disease treatment. He noted that the collaboration reinforces the company’s ongoing efforts to deepen its diabetes portfolio through high-impact and differentiated therapies.

This partnership comes amid heightened activity in India’s weight management and metabolic drug market, especially as semaglutide is set to lose patent protection in March. Branded formulations such as Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic have seen exceptional demand, with combined sales exceeding ₹1,000 crore within a year of their introduction.

With Danish pharmaceutical major Novo Nordisk expected to lose exclusivity for semaglutide shortly, industry estimates suggest that seven to eight generic players could soon enter the market. These alternatives are likely to be priced 50–60% below the original branded versions, potentially broadening patient access and expanding overall market size.

Several pharmaceutical companies are already forming partnerships to strengthen their presence in this increasingly competitive segment.

Earlier this month, OneSource Pharma entered into a collaboration with Hikma to market semaglutide in Saudi Arabia. In December, Ajanta Pharma partnered with Biocon to distribute the drug across select Asian and African markets.

Meanwhile, Cipla and Emcure have struck distribution agreements with innovators Eli Lilly (for Mounjaro) and Novo Nordisk (for Wegovy), respectively, as competition intensifies in the metabolic care landscape.