Novo Nordisk seeks China approval for oral Wegovy drug

Investing.com -- Novo Nordisk said on Thursday that China's drug regulator accepted its application to sell the oral version of its weight-loss drug Wegovy. The Danish drugmaker aims to compete with rival Eli Lilly in the world's second-largest pharmaceutical market.

Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and local company Innovent Biologics are competing for market share with their versions of once-weekly GLP-1 weight-loss injections in China. The country's National Health Commission said the rate of overweight or obese people could reach more than 65% by 2030.

Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly believe weight-loss pills could attract patients who are reluctant to use injections.

Novo Nordisk received early approval in the United States and Britain for its Wegovy pill and launched it in the U.S. this year. Eli Lilly secured U.S. approval in April for its oral drug orforglipron, which also belongs to the GLP-1 class of drugs that mimic a gut hormone to curb appetite and regulate blood sugar in patients with diabetes.

In China, Eli Lilly submitted a marketing application for once-daily orforglipron to the Chinese regulator at the end of 2025, the company said in March.

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