A recent Delhi High Court ruling has provided temporary relief to Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories while ensuring patient access to essential diabetes medication amid a trademark dispute.
After a 30-day stock clearance deadline has passed, the Delhi High Court has permitted Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories to provide government hospitals with any leftover stock of its semaglutide medication Olymviq.
Delhi High Court Allows Limited Use of Olymviq Stock
⚖️ Court Decision Summary
- Company: Dr. Reddy’s
- Drug: Olymviq
- Deadline: 30-day clearance
- Action: Supply to govt hospitals
- Condition: Novo Nordisk presence
- Reason: Public interest
The settlement between Dr. Reddy’s and the Indian pharmaceutical company, which will stop using the Olymviq name and switch to a new brand called Olymra, was formally recorded by Justice Jyoti Singh on Friday.
The undertaking covers Dr. Reddy’s as well as its directors, affiliates, and affiliated companies, all of whom are required to stop manufacturing, selling, supplying, distributing, promoting, and using the contested mark for any commercial purpose, both offline and online.
Brand Transition and Legal Undertaking
Dr. Reddy’s has been allowed to sell its current Olymviq inventory in the market for 30 days in accordance with the agreement. After that, government hospitals may get any unsold inventory while a Novo Nordisk representative is present. On March 29, Mint announced that Dr. Reddy’s would have 30 days to get rid of its inventory after promising in court to modify the brand name and withdraw its trademark applications.
The corporation will withdraw its pending trademark applications for Olymviq from the Trade Marks Registry, guaranteeing that no additional rights are claimed over the disputed mark, according to the court’s written order dated March 27, which Mint has previously examined and reported.
Public Interest and Patient Access
Given that the medication is used by people with diabetes, the court explained that the short window for stock clearance was approved in the public interest. It had previously rejected Novo Nordisk’s request to destroy or repackage the inventory, stating that it would be detrimental to patient access to destroy already created stock.
Additionally, the court questioned the commercial viability of relabelling. Mint sent emails for comment, but Dr. Reddy’s and Novo Nordisk did not immediately reply.
Trademark Dispute Background
💊 Trademark Dispute Highlights
- Complainant: Novo Nordisk
- Issue: Trademark similarity
- Drug: Semaglutide
- Brands: Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus
- Concern: Patient confusion
- Market: Diabetes & weight loss
The conflict arose from a trademark infringement lawsuit brought by Novo Nordisk, which claimed that Olymviq was confusingly similar to its well-known trademark Ozempic, which is used for their popular semaglutide medication.
Novo Nordisk markets semaglutide under the Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus names worldwide. Semaglutide is a commonly used medication for type-2 diabetes and weight management. Dr. Reddy’s and other local pharmaceutical companies launched a series of more affordable generic versions of the medication after it went off-patent in India on March 20.
Novo said that the usage of comparable names in the same therapeutic category could weaken Ozempic’s brand and cause misunderstanding among patients and prescribers. Ozempic is a recognized and well-known mark with global sales over $63 billion over the last five years.
Ongoing Legal Challenges
In addition to filing trademark applications for Olymviq in July 2025 and March 2026, Dr. Reddy’s has been involved in a separate legal battle with Novo Nordisk since May 2025 over suspected semaglutide patent infringement.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and reflects publicly available legal and industry developments.
