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China's drug regulator accepts Novo Nordisk's application for oral Wegovy
The filing advances Novo’s push in China’s GLP-1 market, where sales of weight-management therapies could reach 30 billion yuan, J.P. Morgan said.
On Thursday, Novo Nordisk said China's drug regulator accepted its application to sell oral Wegovy, as the Danish drugmaker seeks to catch up with rival Eli Lilly in the world's second-largest pharmaceutical market.
China's National Health Commission projects obesity rates could reach more than 65% by 2030, driving intense competition among Novo, Lilly, Pfizer, and Innovent Biologics for GLP-1 weight-loss therapy market share.
J.P. Morgan's head of China healthcare research Yang Huang estimates GLP-1 sales could reach 30 billion yuan within five to seven years, up from current estimates of 3 billion to 4 billion yuan.
Novo has already launched oral Wegovy in the U.S. this year, while Eli Lilly secured U.S. approval in April for its oral orforglipron, as both companies believe pills will attract patients reluctant to use injections.
Lilly submitted a marketing application to China's regulator at the end of 2025, while Novo could launch its treatment in China as soon as this year, intensifying competition for the emerging market.