Eli Lilly's Famed Weight Loss Drug Zepbound Scores Chinese Approval

On Friday, China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved Eli Lilly And Co LLY Tirzepatide for long-term weight management.

It is suitable for long-term weight management of adults whose body mass index (BMI) meets the following requirements based on diet control and increased exercise: ≥28 kg/m2 (obese) or ≥24 kg/m2 (overweight) with at least one condition.

Tirzepatide is known in the U.S. as Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss.

Related: Chinese Generic Ozempic, Wegovy Versions Could Put Novo Nordisk At The Risk Of Stiff Competition In Key Market.

In May, the Chinese regulatory authority approved Tirzepatide in China to treat adults with type 2 diabetes.

In March, Eli Lilly revealed that it has identified bacteria and elevated impurity levels in products falsely claiming to be compounded versions of tirzepatide, the active ingredient in its widely-used diabetes medication Mounjaro and the weight loss treatment Zepbound. 

In June, the Chinese National Medical Products Administration approved Novo Nordisk A/S’s NVO Wegovy (semaglutide) for long-term weight management.

The approval comes at a crucial time, as the patent for semaglutide is set to expire in China in 2026.

Novo Nordisk also plans to limit the initial sales of its obesity treatment, Wegovy, in China. China’s National Health Commission survey revealed over half of its 1.4 billion population is overweight or obese.

Price Action: LLY stock is up 1.19% at $859.01 during the premarket session at the last check on Friday.

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