The Delhi High Court has allowed Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories to supply any remaining stock of its semaglutide drug Olymviq to government hospitals after the expiry of a 30-day stock clearance window.
Justice Jyoti Singh formally recorded the settlement between Dr. Reddy’s on Friday, under which the Indian pharmaceutical company will discontinue the use of the Olymviq name and transition to a new brand, Olymra.
The undertaking applies not only to Dr. Reddy’s but also to its directors, affiliates and associated entities, all of which will cease the manufacture, sale, supply, distribution, promotion and any commercial use of the impugned mark, both online and offline.
As per the arrangement, Dr. Reddy’s has been permitted to sell its existing inventory of Olymviq in the market for 30 days. Thereafter, any unsold stock can be supplied to government hospitals in the presence of a representative of Novo Nordisk. Mint reported on 29 March that Dr. Reddy’s would get 30 days to clear its inventory after undertaking before the court that it would change the brand name and withdraw its trademark applications.
In its written order dated 27 March, earlier reviewed and reported by Mint, the court noted that the company would withdraw its pending trademark applications for Olymviq from the Trade Marks Registry, ensuring that no further rights are claimed over the disputed mark.
The court clarified that the limited window for stock clearance was granted in public interest, particularly as the drug is used by diabetic patients. It earlier declined Novo Nordisk’s request for destruction or repackaging of the inventory, noting that destroying already manufactured stock would be detrimental to patient access.
The court also expressed reservations about relabelling, questioning its commercial viability.
“We have full faith in the Indian judiciary and respect the decision of the Honourable Delhi High Court. As an innovation-driven healthcare company, we remain committed to protecting our scientific innovation and intellectual property. At the same time, our focus continues to be on ensuring patients have access to safe, high-quality and evidence-based therapies,” said Vikrant Shrotriya, managing director of Novo Nordisk India, in response to Mint’s emailed queries on the order.
Dr Reddy’s did not respond to queries until press time.
Similar name
The dispute stems from a trademark infringement suit filed by Novo Nordisk, which alleged that Olymviq was deceptively similar to its well-known trademark Ozempic, used for its blockbuster semaglutide drug.
Semaglutide, a widely used treatment for type-2 diabetes and weight management, is marketed globally by Novo Nordisk under the Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus brands. The drug went off-patent in India on 20 March, triggering a wave of lower-cost generic launches by domestic pharmaceutical companies, including Dr. Reddy’s.
Novo argued that Ozempic is a coined and well-known mark with global sales exceeding $63 billion over the past five years, and that the use of similar names in the same therapeutic segment could dilute its brand and create confusion among patients and prescribers.
Dr. Reddy’s filed trademark applications for Olymviq in July 2025 and again in March 2026 and has been engaged in a separate legal dispute with Novo Nordisk since May 2025 over alleged infringement of the semaglutide patent.
