Novo Nordisk to launch lower-cost Ozempic copy in South Africa

Acino, a Swiss pharmaceutical company that is part of Abu Dhabi-headquartered life sciences company Arcera, will support its rollout across South Africa under a partnership focused on expanding access to affordable medicines in high-growth markets, the company said.

"Prices around this will be confirmed to the market next week, however I can confirm that Extensior will be cheaper than (branded) semaglutide for use in type 2 diabetes," Sara Norcross, general manager of Novo Nordisk South Africa, told Reuters on Friday.

"We will continue to assess pricing as our goal is always to improve access by providing patients and healthcare professionals with additional treatment options but ensuring that we maintain the same high quality standards," she said.

Earlier this year, Novo cut some of the prices of its Wegovy medicine to make it more accessible, but the company said it believes the Ozempic copy will make the medicine much more accessible.