Domestic Diabetes Drugs Surge in 2025 Amid Intensifying Market Competition

　　【Pharmaceutical Network Expert Opinion】Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high blood sugar, caused by an absolute or relative deficiency in insulin secretion and utilization disorders. According to predictions by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), by 2045, the number of people with diabetes worldwide is expected to reach 783 million. The large population of diabetes patients presents a market space worth tens of billions of yuan, while also attracting pharmaceutical companies to continuously increase their investments.
 

News on March 5: The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved Chongqing Youyou Pharmaceutical's Metformin Hydrochloride Extended-Release Tablets for production as a Category 4 generic drug, which is considered to have passed the consistency evaluation. Metformin Hydrochloride Extended-Release Tablets are suitable for patients with Type 2 diabetes who cannot effectively control blood sugar through diet and exercise alone. It serves as an adjunctive treatment for insulin-dependent diabetes, working together with insulin to manage the condition. Data shows that the drug achieved sales of over 1.8 billion yuan in China’s three major terminal markets in 2023.
 

As of now, Chongqing Yaoyou Pharmaceutical has obtained production licenses for five products in the diabetes drug sector. Among them, Metformin Hydrochloride Tablets and Acarbose Tablets were blockbuster products worth 3 billion yuan and 2 billion yuan respectively in China's three major terminals and six major markets in 2023.
 

On March 3, Guiyang Xintian Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced that Huilun Pharmaceutical, a company in which it holds shares, had received the "Drug Registration Certificate" issued by the National Medical Products Administration for its Empagliflozin and Metformin Hydrochloride Sustained-Release Tablets. The announcement stated that this drug is a compound preparation of empagliflozin and metformin, mainly used to lower blood sugar and effectively control type 2 diabetes.
 

On February 13, according to the website of China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), the two Class 4 chemical generic drugs, Dapagliflozin and Metformin Hydrochloride Sustained-Release Tablets (Ⅰ) and Dapagliflozin and Metformin Hydrochloride Sustained-Release Tablets (Ⅲ), submitted by Qilu Pharmaceutical, were approved on the same day and deemed to have passed the consistency evaluation. The approval of these Dapagliflozin and Metformin Hydrochloride Sustained-Release Tablets will further enhance Qilu Pharmaceutical's competitiveness in the hypoglycemic drug field.
 

On February 0, Lukang Pharmaceutical announced that its controlling subsidiary, Shandong Lukang Pharmaceutical Group Set Co., Ltd., had received the Drug Registration Certificate for Linagliptin Tablets. This drug, approved under the new registration category 4, is considered a generic drug that has passed the quality and efficacy consistency evaluation for generic drugs and is indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. On the same day, Gan&Lee Pharmaceuticals also announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Gan&Lee Pharmaceuticals (Shandong) Co., Ltd., had received the product registration approval for Empagliflozin Tablets from the National Medical Products Administration, with the acceptance number CYHS2301895 and Drug Registration Certificate number 2025S00268.
 

On January 10, the NMPA announced that the new oral DPP-4 inhibitor, Prulogliptin Tablets, developed by CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, has been approved for marketing in China. The drug is indicated for improving glycemic control in adult patients with type 2 diabetes.
 

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Overall, the demand for diabetes drugs is huge. In response to the vast market demand, diabetes treatment has become one of the long-term focuses of pharmaceutical research and development. In the future, with the continuous advancement of pharmaceutical companies' R&D, an increasing number of domestically produced drugs will be launched to benefit a wide range of patients.
 

Disclaimer: In no event shall the information or opinions expressed in this article constitute investment advice to any person.