Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. has received some relief from the high court to sell its stock of the semaglutide drug brand 'Olymviq' for 30 days, according to sources cited by Bloomberg news on Monday. The firm will start selling the GLP1 drug under 'Olymra' brand after 30 days end
The Delhi High Court heard Danish firm Novo Nordisk's trademark lawsuit against Dr Reddy's Laboratories, over the name 'Olymviq' due to it sounding similar to their existing semalgutide drug 'Ozempic'.
The court had then asked Dr Reddy's Laboratories to stop the rollout and sale of the drug due to this similarity stating that this could create confusion in the pharmaceutical drug brand market. The company had informed the court that it would propose a new brand name, following the directive.
This legal dispute tales place amid India gaining access to generic versions of semaglutide after the patent had expired, which lead to the dispute over branding as the market expects multiple low-cost copies to make their entry, The dispute revolved around whether or not the name "Olymviq" resembles "Ozempic", a drug used to manages diabetes and weight.
Dr. Reddy's and the court had indicated a preference for allowing the company to dispose of the stock within 30 days, while Novo Nordisk had pursued destruction or relabelling of the inventory. The court had said that it wasn't inclined to order the destruction of the stock at this stage.
Novo Nordisk sells the drug under brands including Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, and has argued that similarity in naming could lead to confusion among patients and prescribers. Dr. Reddy's had already launched its semaglutide product under the brand "Obeda."
ALSO READ: Dr. Reddy's To Rename Semaglutide Drug To Olymra After Delhi High Court Halt
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