Novo Nordisk said China’s Supreme People’s Court has upheld the validity of its semaglutide compound patent, according to a company statement issued on Saturday.
China’s Supreme People’s Court thereby confirmed an earlier ruling by the Beijing Intellectual Property Court.
According to the statement from Novo Nordisk, the decision affirms Novo Nordisk’s intellectual property rights related to semaglutide, the active ingredient in its obesity and diabetes treatments Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus.
Novo Nordisk said the ruling strengthens confidence for foreign pharmaceutical companies operating in China and reflects official support for protecting medical innovation.
The Danish drugmaker added that the decision does not change its previous guidance that patent expiries for semaglutide in certain markets could have a low single-digit impact on global sales growth in 2026.
China is a key market for Novo Nordisk, which employs about 78,500 people globally and sells its medicines in around 170 countries.
