India’s drug regulator has approved Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy (semaglutide injection) for use in adolescents, expanding access to the blockbuster weight‑loss therapy in one of the world’s fastest‑growing markets for anti‑obesity medicines.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has cleared Wegovy as an adjunct to a reduced‑calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight management in adolescents aged 12 years and older who have a body weight above 60 kg, mirroring international labelling that ties pharmacotherapy to lifestyle interventions.
Wegovy, a once‑weekly GLP‑1 receptor agonist originally developed for chronic weight management in adults, had earlier secured paediatric approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in 2023 on the back of clinical trial data showing meaningful reductions in body mass index (BMI) and improved metabolic parameters in adolescents with obesity. The Indian nod for teens follows the drug’s commercial debut in the country’s adult segment in 2025 and comes amid rising concern over childhood and adolescent obesity, particularly in urban populations, where changing diets and sedentary lifestyles have driven up cardiometabolic risk.
While detailed India‑specific pricing and reimbursement information for the adolescent indication has not been disclosed, Wegovy is already available in the market as a premium once‑weekly injectable option for adults, creating a new high‑end segment in the country’s obesity‑care landscape. Clinicians say the paediatric extension is likely to be reserved for carefully selected adolescents who meet strict criteria on weight, comorbidities and lifestyle modification, given the need for long‑term safety monitoring and the high cost of GLP‑1 therapy in low‑ and middle‑income settings.
