Novo Nordisk said Monday it has launched its popular obesity drug Wegovy in China, the world’s second-largest pharmaceuticals market where it estimates more than 180 million people live with obesity. The move intensifies the competition with Eli Lilly, which secured approval for its weight-loss drug in China in July but has yet to launch it. Both companies are ramping up production to capitalize on a weight-loss market projected by analysts to exceed $150 billion by the beginning of the next decade. Novo gained approval for Wegovy in China in June and will initially target Chinese patients willing to pay out-of-pocket for the weekly injectable drug. Novo (NVO) launched Wegovy in the US in 2021.
