Nairobi, April 12 -- Patients in Kenya, currently paying up to Sh150,000 a month for the diabetes drug Ozempic, could soon access the treatment at a fraction of the cost following the expiry of its patent.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers across India, China and Brazil are already moving to flood global markets with cheaper versions of the drug's active ingredient.

Ozempic, which contains semaglutide, is an injectable drug taken once a week and approved for type 2 diabetes. The same molecule, at a higher dose, is sold under the brand name Wegovy for the treatment of obesity.

Both drugs belong to a class known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which work by mimicking a gut hormone that regulates appetite and blood sugar. This mechanism has made s...