‍Novo Nordisk's Wegovy Obesity Drug Approved in China

Novo Nordisk has achieved approval for its Wegovy obesity drug in China, signaling a major advancement in the fight against obesity. This milestone underscores the drug's effectiveness and the company's commitment to addressing global health challenges. With its approval in China, Wegovy offers new hope for individuals struggling with obesity, promising significant benefits in weight management and overall health improvement.

Novo Nordisk has achieved considerable success in promoting Ozempic in China. The company aims to replicate this achievement with its obesity treatment Wegovy, following approval from China's National Medical Products Administration for the GLP-1 therapy.

Boston Brand Media brings you the latest news - Novo Nordisk's diabetes medication Ozempic (semaglutide) has been available in China for three years, rapidly approaching significant sales in the world's second most populous nation. Building on this success, the Danish company aims to strengthen its position with Wegovy, an obesity treatment. 

Recently, China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) granted marketing approval for Wegovy to treat individuals with a BMI of at least 30, or between 27 and 30 with one weight-related risk factor. Marketed as NovoCare in China, Wegovy utilizes the same compound, semaglutide, as Ozempic. Following the approval, Novo's stock rose by 3%. 

In China, where over half of adults were overweight or obese in 2022, and with the highest number of people affected by type 2 diabetes and obesity globally, the NMPA highlighted Wegovy's ability to achieve an average weight loss of 17% and its associated benefits. 

Boston Brand Media also found that, addressing a significant medical gap, Chen Wei of Peking Union Medical College Hospital emphasized the urgent need for effective clinical drug treatments for obesity in China, underscoring the potential of new medical weight loss drugs to provide safe, effective, and convenient options for patients.

Novo Nordisk faces a time-sensitive challenge to maximize Wegovy sales in China, where their patent on semaglutide is due to expire in two years, potentially sooner pending a court decision. 

This impending expiration has spurred Chinese drugmakers to develop at least 15 GLP-1 biosimilar candidates, according to a recent Reuters report. In contrast, Novo retains exclusive rights to semaglutide in Europe until 2031 and in the United States until 2032.

The approval follows Novo Nordisk's announcement three months ago of a 4 billion yuan ($556 million) investment in its longstanding manufacturing site in Tianjin, China, set to be completed by 2027.

In the past year, Novo significantly increased its China sales of Ozempic to 4.82 billion kroner ($693 million). However, the company now faces competition in this area, as last month the NMPA approved Eli Lilly's dual-action GLP-1/GIP diabetes drug Mounjaro (tirzepatide), marketed in China as MuFengDa.

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Source: fiercepharma‍