Novo Nordisk Launches Wegovy (Semaglutide Injection) in China for Chronic Weight Management with Average 17% Body Weight Reduction

Reporter Xu Libo from The Economic Information Daily Editor Dong Xingsheng from The Economic Information Daily

On November 17, Novo Nordisk announced that the world's first and currently only GLP-1RA (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist) weekly formulation for long-term weight management, Wegovy (semaglutide injection for long-term weight management), has officially launched in China.

NovoNordisk has strict indications for use. The initial Body Mass Index (BMI) of users must meet the following criteria: greater than or equal to 30 kg/m² (obesity), or between 27 kg/m² and 30 kg/m² (overweight) with at least one weight-related comorbidity (e.g., hyperglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, or cardiovascular disease, etc.). It is reported that NovoNordisk can achieve an average weight loss of approximately 17%.

Regarding the pricing and drug supply issues of general public concern, at the national launch conference of Novo Nordisk's product "Novo Ying" held on the 17th, Novo Nordisk told multiple media outlets that the company has started applying for provincial bidding and listing for Novo Ying, with specific pricing to be referenced from the listed price; after the launch, Novo Nordisk will carry out a full-channel layout covering public hospitals, private hospitals, and pharmacies based on the distribution of obesity patients across China.