Ozempic is the trademark used to designate the medication that contains the active ingredient known as semaglutide, which is used to treat diabetes. It has gained significant popularity in the Brazilian market due to its side effect of weight loss in patients who use the well-known injectable “pen.” Currently, the company Novo Nordisk A/S holds exclusive rights to commercialise this medication in the Brazilian market due to its registered patent.
In Brazil, patents are valid for a term of 20 (twenty) years from the filing date and cannot be extended. The patent for semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic owned by Novo Nordisk A/S, will expire in July 2026, which will allow other pharmaceutical companies to commercialise medications containing the same active ingredient.
There had been controversy regarding the starting point for the patent term in Brazil—whether it should begin from the filing date or from the date of grant. However, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) has ruled that the term is to be counted from the filing date. In its decision, the STF declared the sole paragraph of Article 40 of the Industrial Property Act unconstitutional, which had previously allowed for the extension of the term of invention patents. [1]
According to the Federal Pharmacy Council, Novo Nordisk took legal action in an attempt to extend the patent term, arguing that the term should begin from the date of grant, given the considerable delays by the Brazilian PTO (INPI) in deciding whether to grant or reject a patent. [2]
Novo Nordisk A/S is also reported to have met with the government, the Vice President, and the Minister of Development, Industry and Trade in an effort to amend the existing legislation regarding patent terms. [3] However, despite this attempt, the request was rejected on the grounds of the STF’s decision in Constitutional Action 5529, which held that extending patent terms would be unconstitutional as it violates the principles of legal certainty, efficiency in public administration, economic order, and the right to health.
With the end of the exclusivity period for the invention patent covering the medication containing semaglutide, other companies in the pharmaceutical market will be allowed to commercialise medicines with the same active ingredient. Several other laboratories, such as SEM and Biomm, are already preparing to launch their own medications with the same active ingredient next year. [4] As a result, the price of the medication is expected to decrease due to increased supply from competing companies.
[1] BRASIL. Supremo Tribunal Federal. Ação Direta de Inconstitucionalidade n. 5529, Processo Eletrônico Público, número único 4000796-72.2016.1.00.0000, Distrito Federal, relator: Min. Dias Toffoli. Brasília, DF, [14 de setembro de 2021].
DJE 182/2021 e DOU 174/2021. Disponível em: https://portal.stf.jus.br/processos/detalhe.asp?incidente=4984195, Acesso em: 09 de junho de 2025.
[2] CONSELHO FEDERAL DE FARMÁCIA. Fabricante do Ozempic tenta estender patente. CFF Notícias Gerais, Brasília, 28 jan. 2025. Disponível em: https://site.cff.org.br/noticia/Noticias-gerais/28/01/2025/fabricante-do-ozempic-tenta-estender-patente. Acesso em: 09 de junho de 2025.
[3] RODRIGUES, Basília. Fabricante do Ozempic se reuniu com Alckmin para pedir sobrevida de patentes. CNN Brasil Blogs – Economia, 3 jan. 2025. Atualizado em 15 jan. 2025. Disponível em: https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/blogs/basilia-rodrigues/economia/macroeconomia/fabricante-do-ozempic-se-reuniu-com-alckmin-para-pedir-sobrevida-de-patentes/. Acesso em: 09 de junho de 2025.
[4] BIOMM. Exame: Biomm vai trazer similar do Ozempic ao Brasil; ação dispara 38%. São Paulo, 17 abr. 2024. Disponível em: https://biomm.com/exame-biomm-vai-trazer-similar-do-ozempic-ao-brasil-acao-dispara-38/. Acesso em: 09 de junho de 2025.
