A race over obesity treatments is heating up in China, as global pharmaceutical giants compete to dominate the fast-growing market for weight-loss drugs.
Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk says it will soon apply for Chinese approval of an oral version of its blockbuster Wegovy, shifting from injections to pills in a bid to reach more patients, Asia One reports.
“We will be submitting oral Wegovy…for regulatory approval very soon…I would say a few months,” said Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar during a visit to Beijing.
The move comes as competition intensifies with US rival Eli Lilly, which is also developing a once-daily oral weight-loss drug and has already filed for regulatory approval in China.
Both companies are targeting the booming demand for GLP-1 medicines, a class of drugs that has transformed obesity treatment worldwide.
Novo Nordisk believes its manufacturing scale could give it an advantage in the crowded market.
“One barrier to entry for the (weight-loss) tablet will also be the scaling of this, in the way that we’re able to do. And I would think not many of our competitors will be able to that level, have the capabilities,” Mike Doustdar said.
The race is further complicated by growing competition from local Chinese drugmakers and the approaching end of patent protection for key ingredients, opening the door to generics.
