Dr Reddy’s agrees to change ‘Olymviq’ to ‘Olymra’, ends dispute with maker of similar-sounding ‘Ozempic’
Novo Nordisk had complained that the generic Olymviq was phonetically deceptively similar to ‘Ozempic’, the global blockbuster weight-loss and diabetes drug.
Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk and Indian generic drugmaker Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL) have put an end to their trademark dispute over Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss drug Ozempic.
DRL has agreed that they will henceforth not manufacture and sell the semaglutide formulation under the ‘Olymviq’ branding, which sounds similar to Ozempic.
DRL, which had officially announced the launch of its semaglutide formulation under the branding of ‘Obeda’, was also branding the drug as ‘Olymviq’ and ‘Mashlo’. Novo Nordisk had objected to the use of ‘Olymviq’, arguing that it was deceptively similar phonetically to Ozempic.
DRL has informed the Delhi High Court that it has changed its branding for Olymviq to ‘Olymra’ and shall forthwith stop the manufacturing, distribution, sale, and other commercial use, either online or offline, of the product under the branding of Olymviq, including the logo or packaging, or any other such similarity with the Ozempic mark.
DRL also undertook before the court that it would withdraw all trademark applications for Olymviq that it had filed before the trademark registry.
Justice Jyoti Singh, who decreed the suit in terms of the settlement arrived at between the two pharma companies, also recorded last week that DRL shall not sell its remaining stock of injections after 30 days.
DRL informed the court that the remaining unsold stock after this period shall be donated to a government hospital.
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After DRL launched its generic semaglutide formulation on March 21 under the brand name of ‘Obeda’, to be used for treating type-2 diabetes, Novo Nordisk moved the Delhi HC to say that DRL had also released its generic version of the injectable semaglutide under the branding of ‘Olymviq’. It accused DRL of “trademark infringement”.
Novo Nordisk’s key argument was that ‘Ozempic’ is an invented word, and not a derivative from a chemical name (like, say, the anti-allergy drug Montek derives its name from the compound Montelukast), DRL was attempting to play on the phonetic similarity between ‘Ozempic’ and ‘Olymviq’.
Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide portfolio has been a turning point for the company, with WeGovy and Ozempic driving its sales for the past few years. This year, however, the company forecast a drop in its sales going forward, one of the reasons being the loss of patent protections across various jurisdictions globally.
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
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