1 January 2027
Medicare negotiated prices for 2027 take effect
Discounts of 40% to 71% below list price for these drugs, before the rebates drugmakers already pay.
When does Wegovy go off patent?
In the US, generics can launch from 2032. Wegovy is sold by Novo Nordisk. Same molecule as Ozempic (semaglutide), sold for obesity. Novo: US compound patent expiry 2032; semaglutide generics launched in India and Canada in 2026. Sales DKK 79.1B.
Wegovy's US exclusivity date is based on company guidance. The date comes from the company's own filings or guidance. Secondary patents, new formulations or litigation can still move it. It is a peptide regulated as a drug rather than a biologic, so copies are generics. Peptides are harder to copy than typical pills, so generic uptake can be slower.
| Patent or protection | Covers | Expiry |
|---|---|---|
| US 8,129,343 | Semaglutide itself and the drug product | 5 December 2031 |
| FDA exclusivities | New patient populations and a new strength | 19 March 2029 |
| Later formulation, pen and use patents (16 listed) | The drug product and approved uses | 17 February 2041 |
Novo Nordisk guides to US compound patent expiry in 2032 for all its semaglutide brands (Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy). Patents listed for Wegovy's pen, formulation and uses run as late as 2041. Novo has sued the generic makers challenging them; Mylan (Viatris) sued in September 2026 to clear a dosing patent running to 2038.
Sources: FDA Orange Book data files · Novo Nordisk 20-F 2025
| Year | Worldwide | US | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | DKK 31.3B | – | – |
| 2024 | DKK 58.2B | DKK 45.8B | +86% |
| 2025 | DKK 79.1B | DKK 51.0B | +36% |
Worldwide net sales as reported, with the US share, in DKK as the company reports them, so growth is not distorted by exchange rates. Source: Novo Nordisk full-year reports 2025 and 2024
Filed with the FDA Novo has sued the generic makers challenging Wegovy's patents. Court records name Mylan (Viatris), which won a 2025 ruling that its label does not infringe one patent and in September 2026 sued to clear a newer dosing patent that runs to 2038. Novo guides to US compound patent expiry in 2032.
| Company (product) | Stage |
|---|---|
| Mylan (Viatris) | Filed with the FDA; in litigation, sued Sep 2026. Mylan sued in Sep 2026 to clear a patent running to 2038 |
| Other generic makers (not named by Novo) | Filed with the FDA; in litigation |
Checked October 2026. Sources: Novo 20-F 2025 · Pearce IP: Mylan suit, Sep 2026 · Pharmaceutical Technology: 2025 ruling
Among past small-molecule drugs facing unrestricted generics, US sales in the first full year after copies arrived were a median 18% of the last full year before (range 0% to 48%, 10 drugs), and 6% by the third year (8 drugs). Where settlements limit generic volumes, as with Revlimid, the decline is slower. Every drug is different: settlements, how many copies launch, and pricing all change the curve. See the erosion benchmarks →
Wegovy was selected for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. Its negotiated Medicare price takes effect in 2027, 71% below its list price. That is 5 years before US generics can launch, so Medicare revenue comes under pressure first. The discount is measured against list price, before the rebates drugmakers already pay, and applies to Medicare only, so the revenue impact is smaller than the headline number. See every negotiated Medicare price →
Wegovy is 26% of Novo Nordisk's 2025 revenue (≈$12.0B of $46.8B). With Ozempic, the drugs tracked here add up to 67% of Novo Nordisk's revenue losing US exclusivity by 2032. Total sales DKK 309.1B.
Bars show each company's tracked drugs as a share of its total 2025 revenue. Wegovy is highlighted.
Discounts of 40% to 71% below list price for these drugs, before the rebates drugmakers already pay.
Company guidance. Same molecule as Ozempic (semaglutide), sold for obesity. Novo: US compound patent expiry 2032; semaglutide generics launched in India and Canada in 2026. Sales DKK 79.1B.