India approves Wegovy for MASH

India's drug regulator, the India — Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), has approved Novo Nordisk's obesity drug Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4 mg) for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a serious form of fatty liver disease. The approval is for adults with noncirrhotic MASH and moderate to advanced liver fibrosis (stages F2 to F3), to be used alongside diet and exercise. This expands Wegovy's indication beyond chronic weight management, which was approved in India in April 2022. The decision follows a recommendation by the CDSCO's Subject Expert Committee in April 2026 and is supported by the Phase 3 ESSENCE trial, which showed significant improvement in liver fibrosis and resolution of steatohepatitis. Novo Nordisk noted that about two in three people in India have fatty liver disease, highlighting a large patient population. The approval comes as Novo Nordisk competes with Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and lower-cost generic semaglutide from Abbott Laboratories and Sun Pharma in India's growing obesity-drug market. Novo Nordisk sold about 76,000 units of Wegovy in India in the first half of 2026, according to market researcher Pharmarack. Similar approvals have been granted in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, while the European Union has approved an oral version of semaglutide for weight management.