South Africa court bars iDexis from selling compounded Ozempic in Novo Nordisk case

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's High Court has granted Novo Nordisk an interim interdict barring a local pharmacy group from manufacturing and selling compounded weight-loss medicines containing semaglutide, in a ruling that shows tightening scrutiny of unregistered drugs.

The Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria ruled on Monday that iDexis and its director must immediately stop compounding, supplying and marketing semaglutide-based products pending the outcome of regulatory processes and potential review proceedings.

Novo Nordisk, the Danish drugmaker behind blockbuster brands Ozempic and Wegovy, had argued that iDexis was unlawfully selling unregistered semaglutide medicines and competing in the lucrative weight-loss market without complying with South Africa's Medicines Act.

(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla, Editing by Louise Heavens)

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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 5:42 AM.