By Rishika Sadam

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Biocon is aiming for

high-double-digit percentage revenue growth as the Indian

pharmaceutical firm prepares to launch generic versions of

weight-loss drugs globally even as it remains ​cautious about an

early rollout in the home market, ‌a top company executive told

Reuters.

The company is counting on demand for obesity medicines as

it expands a pipeline ⁠that includes copycat versions of Novo

Nordisk's Wegovy, whose patent for semaglutide in ⁠a

few markets expires in 2026.

Indian drugmakers, including Dr Reddy's, Lupin

, ‌Sun Pharmaceutical and ‌at least half a dozen

others are racing to bring cheaper copies to markets once the

active compound goes ​off patent.

Bengaluru-based Biocon is targeting a U.S. ‌launch of generic

liraglutide in the first quarter of the next financial year, CEO

Siddharth Mittal said in an interview on Friday. Liraglutide ​is

also used for obesity treatment.

It aims ​to launch ‌generic Wegovy in Canada next year,

subject to regulatory approval, Mittal said. It is also planning

launches over the next few years in India, Brazil, Mexico,

Turkey, ⁠and parts of the Middle East and Latin America.

The company, however, is ⁠cautious about an early start in

India due to fierce price competition and local clinical trial

requirements, Mittal said.

"There's going to be fierce competition in India," Mittal

said, citing low price expectations. He said Biocon is exploring

approval in a specific overseas market ⁠first, ‌which could help

it seek a clinical trial waiver in India ‌under local rules.

In India, Biocon would need to run a late-stage clinical

trial before ⁠launch. The company is weighing whether that cost

would be justified, Mittal said, or whether it should seek a

waiver.

The obesity medicines market, according to several

forecasts, is expected to reach at least $150 billion globally

by the early 2030s, and analysts expect generic versions to be

priced at least 60% below the originator products.

Biocon expects high double-digit percentage revenue growth,

Mittal said. The company's ​annual revenue grew 5.4% in fiscal

2025 from a year ago, but it has been growing in early

double-digits on a quarter-on-quarter basis.

India is not Biocon's main market. The ​company derives

significant share of revenue ‌from the United States and parts of

Europe.