In a brewing trademark tussle, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories has agreed to rename its generic drug after a challenge from Novo Nordisk over brand similarity concerns.
The dispute centres around Dr. Reddy’s generic version of Ozempic, which was initially branded as Olymvic. Novo Nordisk flagged the name, arguing that its similarity to Ozempic could potentially lead to confusion among patients.
Following the objection, Dr. Reddy’s has now agreed to change the name of its drug, marking an early win for Novo Nordisk in the branding battle around semaglutide generics.
At the heart of the row is the branding of Dr. Reddy’s semaglutide drug as Olymviq, earlier referred to as Olymvic, which Novo Nordisk contested over its phonetic and visual similarity to Ozempic.
While Dr. Reddy’s has agreed to rebrand the drug as Olymra, the two companies remain at odds over the fate of the existing inventory. Novo Nordisk has sought destruction or rebranding of the stock already labelled under the earlier name, flagging continued risk of confusion.
Dr. Reddy’s has opposed both options, instead seeking a 30-day window to liquidate its current inventory, pegged at around ₹5 crore.
The dispute comes immediately after Novo Nordisk’s patent for semaglutide expired on March 20, opening the market to generic competition. Following the patent expiry, players including Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Sun Pharma (Noveltreat, Sematrinity), Zydus Lifesciences (Semaglyn, Mashema), and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (GLIPIQ) have rolled out semaglutide generics, intensifying competition in the diabetes and weight management market.
Others, such as Mankind Pharma, Lupin, and Alkem, are expected to launch soon.
As more players gear up to enter the space, the clash underscores how brand identity, beyond just pricing, could become a key battleground in the next phase of competition.
The shares of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories were trading 5% lower at ₹1,294.2 on the NSE at 1:40 PM.
(Edited by : Bhupendra Paintola)
First Published: Mar 27, 2026 1:41 PM IST
