Weight-loss drugmakers target China as obesity market expands beyond GLP-1

Weight-loss drugmakers are promoting obesity awareness in Chinese metro stations, gyms and soccer stadiums as regulations prohibit direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines. China’s National Health Commission has said the share of overweight or obese people could exceed 65% by 2030. Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Innovent Biologics are competing with once-weekly GLP-1 injections, with Lilly leading sales on Alibaba’s Tmall and JD.com in the second quarter, according to Jefferies. Meanwhile, developers globally are moving beyond single-acting GLP-1 agonists toward dual and triple agonists, amylin-based medicines, muscle-preserving mechanisms, oral treatments and longer-lasting formulations. IQVIA projects the global obesity-treatment market will reach $97.8 billion, or about 135 trillion won, by 2034. Future competition is expected to depend on long-term safety, the quality of weight loss, dosing convenience, manufacturing stability and insurance access, rather than weight reduction alone.

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