Hansoh Pharma Submits NDA for Dual-Target Obesity Drug Olezotide, Showing Up to 19.3% Weight Loss in Phase III Trial

Jiemian News Reporter |Li Kewen

Interface News Editor |Xie Xin

On June 4, Hansoh Pharma announced that its New Drug Application (NDA) for olepatide injection had been accepted by the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for long-term weight management in adults with obesity or overweight.

Olepatide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) dual receptor agonist independently developed by Hansoh Pharma. By selectively activating GLP-1/GIP receptors, it modulates metabolic pathways associated with appetite control, glucose metabolism, and energy balance, thereby exerting biological effects such as glycemic control and weight reduction. It is administered via once-weekly subcutaneous injection.

In March 2026, the first Phase III clinical trial (HS-20094-301) of olepatide in Chinese adult subjects with overweight or obesity achieved its primary endpoint.

After 48 weeks of treatment with orforglipron, the mean weight reduction from baseline reached up to 19.3%, and the proportion of subjects achieving a weight reduction of ≥5% was as high as 97.2%. The study demonstrated that the orforglipron treatment group exhibited excellent gastrointestinal tolerability, with an average incidence of nausea of <10% and vomiting of <5%. Compared with published Phase III trial data for existing GLP-1 receptor agonist-based dual agonists, the incidence of gastrointestinal adverse events and the rate of treatment discontinuation were lower.

On June 2, 2025, Hansoh Pharma announced that it had entered into a licensing agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., granting Regeneron an exclusive global license (excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau) to develop, manufacture, and commercialize HS-20094.

Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide for chronic weight management in adults in 2021, GLP-1 receptor agonists have rapidly expanded from diabetes treatment into the weight-loss market, sparking a global surge in demand for related products.

The Chinese weight-loss drug market has consequently been unlocked. According to the "2026 Comprehensive Insight Report on China's Weight-Loss Drug Market," jointly released by Sandalwood Data and IQVIA, the total omnichannel market size for weight-loss drugs in China reached RMB 14.1 billion in 2025, is projected to reach RMB 17.8 billion in 2026, and is expected to surpass RMB 20 billion in 2027. The report’s statistical scope includes GLP-1 receptor agonists and orlistat, covering three distribution channels: hospitals, pharmacies, and e-commerce platforms.

Regarding GLP-1 drugs that have been approved for weight loss indications in China, the current offerings mainly include Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide, Innovent Biologics’ mazdutide, and Sun Pharma’s enoglitazone.Huadong Medicineliraglutide, and Benaglutide from Rehui Bio. They cover different technical routes, including GLP-1 single-target, GLP-1/GIP dual-target, and GLP-1/GCGR dual-target therapies.

Among these, GLP-1/GIP dual-target drugs represented by tirzepatide have become one of the core categories with the highest global sales. Based on 2025 sales figures, Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide product portfolio generated total revenue of approximately $36.5 billion, surpassing Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide product portfolio, which amounted to approximately $34.5 billion.

Consequently, the dual GLP-1/GIP target has become a key focus for domestic companies striving to catch up. Currently, a relatively clear tiered landscape of competitors has emerged among domestic developers of dual GLP-1/GIP target drugs.Hengrui MedicineThe marketing application for HRS9531, also known as Repaglutide Injection, for the indication of long-term weight management in adults was accepted by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in 2025. Now, Hansoh Pharma’s Oleaglutide is following closely behind.

From the perspective of mechanism of action, olezarsen and tirzepatide both belong to the class of dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists, with their core value propositions remaining the degree of weight loss, metabolic improvement, and long-term tolerability. However, in terms of dosing convenience, olezarsen currently does not demonstrate a significant advantage. Like semaglutide, tirzepatide, and mazdutide, it is administered as a weekly formulation. Therefore, the future market success of olezarsen will largely depend on its pricing strategy.

A retail executive at a company with an already-listed GLP-1 product told Jiemian News that in this sector, the decisive factors for achieving significant growth and strength are the product’s own efficacy and safety, as well as the mastery of its sales attributes. Based on this, the field is more likely to be dominated by a few companies in the future, rather than seeing widespread proliferation.

It is also worth noting that since 2026, the domestic GLP-1 drug market has undergone a fundamental shift. Hansoh Pharma is entering a market characterized by an increasing number of products, continuous price declines, and increasingly stringent channel regulation.

The Price War Has Quietly Begun. In the hospital market, according to Sichuan Online, in December 2025, the listed price of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide in Sichuan was slashed by half, from 1,893 yuan to 987 yuan; in January 2026, after Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide was included in the national medical insurance reimbursement list, the prices for its four specifications dropped from a range of 1,758–4,758 yuan to 324–937 yuan, representing a decrease of approximately 80%.

On e-commerce platforms, in early January 2026, the price of tirzepatide (2.4 mL:10 mg) on Meituan’s self-operated platform dropped to RMB 559. The price of semaglutide ranged between RMB 300 and RMB 400 across multiple platforms. For Innovent Biologics’ mazdutide, the price for a box containing two 0.5 mL:2 mg pre-filled pens decreased from RMB 540 to RMB 399, while the price for a box containing two 0.5 mL:4 mg pre-filled pens fell from RMB 890 to RMB 770.

Regulatory oversight is also being tightened in tandem. In May this year, the “Compliance Guidelines for Online Retail of Prescription Drugs” were issued. As reported by Jiemian News, the National Medical Products Administration has explicitly prohibited the use of AI for issuing prescriptions and the practice of offering gifts or bundles with purchases in online sales of prescription drugs, precisely targeting irregularities in the online sale of weight-loss medications.In an interview with Jiemian News, lawyers Bai Wenhui and Cui Lianning from Zhongwen (Shanghai) Law Firm interpreted that online prescription drug retailers must not encourage consumers to overuse or irrationally use prescription drugs during the sales process, and must not distribute prescription drugs to the public through promotions such as “buy drugs, get free drugs” or “buy products, get free drugs.” These practices were onceGLP-1 Drugs: A Major Area of Violations in Online Sales

Jiemian News previously reported that semaglutide is prohibited from online sales under new regulations, yet e-commerce platforms continue to engage in borderline practices. Taking Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy as an example, it has been approved for weight management indications but not for diabetes indications, essentially classifying it as a weight-loss medication. However, some e-commerce platforms have created their own indication labels, such as “hyperglycemia with overweight,” to facilitate sales.At the time, Bai Wenhui told Jiemian News that the platform’s removal of options for formally diagnosed conditions and addition of non-statutory diagnostic labels carried a high risk of substantive legal violation. This misconduct essentially amounted to the disguised promotion and sale of GLP-1 prescription injectables for weight-loss purposes under the guise of their approved indication for glucose-lowering therapy.

Similar issues have also emerged with certain GLP-1 receptor agonists that have not yet received approval for weight-loss indications. For instance, as previously reported by the “755 Detective” column of Jiemian News, Yinuqing, a product under InnoCare Pharma, featured widespread claims such as “fat burning” and “fat reduction” in its e-commerce promotional materials despite having approval only for diabetes treatment. In response to Jiemian News, InnoCare Pharma stated that it had conducted a comprehensive review of promotional content across relevant e-commerce channels to ensure that all displayed information strictly adhered to its approved indications.