Lilly Launches Once-Weekly GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Trulicity® (Dulaglutide) in China

Yesterday (June 16), Eli Lilly and Company's weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist Trulicity®(Dulaglutide) “‘Da’ Dao Zhi Jian” China Launch Press Conference Grandly Held in Shanghai. ZhonghuaMedicineProfessor Zhu Dalong, Chair of the Chinese Diabetes Society; Professor Guo Lixin, President-Elect of the Chinese Diabetes Society; Professor Yu Xin, Honorary Chair of the Chinese Society of Psychiatry; Mr. Julio Gay-Ger, President and General Manager of Eli Lilly China; Dr. Sherry Martin, Vice President of Global Medical Affairs at Eli Lilly and Company; Dr. Wang Li, Senior Vice President of the Drug Development and Medical Affairs Center at Eli Lilly China; Dr. Chen Jun, Vice President of the Diabetes Product Division at Eli Lilly China; Ms. Gao Tong, Vice President of Government and Corporate Affairs at Eli Lilly China; Mr. Nils Hartmann, Global Senior Marketing Director for Diabetes at Eli Lilly; and media representatives gathered together to jointly witness the launch of Trulicity®(Dulaglutide) A Historic Moment of Its Market Launch in China.

"‘Da’ Dao Zhi Jian” Du Yi Da^®(Dulaglutide) China Launch Press Conference Kickoff Ceremony

Dulaglutide®(Dulaglutide) is indicated for glycemic control in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, including as monotherapy and in patients who have inadequate glycemic control despite treatment with metformin and/or sulfonylureas. At the press conference, Professor Zhu Dalong, Chairman of the Chinese Diabetes Society of the Chinese Medical Association, stated, “As a new-generation once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist, Trulicity® (dulaglutide) demonstrates clear efficacy in lowering blood glucose and has a favorable safety profile. Its once-weekly injection regimen is simple to administer. Its launch will provide physicians and patients with a new option for glycemic control.”

Professor Zhu Dalong, Chairman of the Chinese Diabetes Society

Low rates of glycemic target attainment in diabetes; the inconvenience of daily injections leading to poor adherence is a significant limiting factor

China is a country with a high prevalence of diabetes, with the prevalence rate of type 2 diabetes reaching as high as 10.9%. Although there are many glucose-lowering medications available, some patients experience treatment failure with oral hypoglycemic agents, intolerance to insulin therapy, and risks of hypoglycemia, resulting in a low rate of glycemic control among diabetic patients in China, which stands at only 15.8%¹. Poor blood glucose control leads to a higher incidence of diabetic vascular complications, severely impacting patients' quality of life. There is an urgent clinical need for potent glucose-lowering therapies and medications that minimize hypoglycemia risk and offer ease of use to improve the current situation.

GLP-1 receptor agonists are a novel class of drugs that exert glucose-lowering effects by activating GLP-1 receptors. They increase insulin secretion and suppress glucagon secretion in a glucose-dependent manner, delay gastric emptying, and reduce food intake through central appetite suppression. Professor DeFronzo, recipient of the Banting Award, the highest honor bestowed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), proposed that the pathophysiological abnormalities underlying diabetes constitute an “ominous octet.” GLP-1 receptor agonists can improve six of these eight pathophysiological defects, effectively lowering blood glucose while significantly reducing body weight and improving triglyceride levels and blood pressure, thereby delivering multiple clinical benefits. Consequently, the recommended status of GLP-1 receptor agonists in major authoritative guidelines has been progressively elevated; notably, the 2019 ADA guidelines recommended them as the preferred injectable therapy.

Currently, although GLP-1 receptor agonists are increasingly widely used in clinical practice, they are administered via injection. Therefore, patients’ adherence to long-term injections has become a key factor in achieving glycemic control targets. The “Study on the Burden of Injectable Administration in Patients with Diabetes,” released by IQVIA in August 2018, showed that 72% of patients believed that the various inconveniences associated with daily injection therapy affected their adherence to prescribed medication; 32% of patients considered discontinuing treatment due to the inconvenience of daily injections; and as high as 90% of patients felt that daily injectable glucose-lowering therapy impacted their daily lives. At the press conference, Professor Guo Lixin, then President-elect of the Chinese Diabetes Society of the Chinese Medical Association, stated, “Previously, diabetic patients using injectable medications often required multiple injections per day, and the timing of these injections was largely influenced by meal schedules. These factors made it difficult for patients to maintain adherence, thereby affecting the achievement of glycemic control targets.”

Professor Guo Lixin, President-Elect of the Chinese Diabetes Society, Chinese Medical Association

Novel Weekly GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Dulaglutide: Simplified Glycemic Control, Improved Patient Adherence, and Facilitated Achievement of Glycemic Targets

The multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-controlled Phase 3 AWARD-CHIN2 study, conducted primarily in Chinese patients, compared the efficacy of dulaglutide and insulin glargine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with inadequate glycemic control. All patients, while continuing metformin ± sulfonylurea therapy, were randomized to receive either dulaglutide 0.75 mg, dulaglutide 1.5 mg, or insulin glargine. After 26 weeks of treatment, HbA1c levels decreased from baseline by 1.33% and 1.73% in the dulaglutide 0.75 mg and 1.5 mg groups, respectively, compared with a 1.16% reduction in the insulin glargine group. The study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that dulaglutide was superior to insulin glargine in lowering blood glucose, with statistically significant differences (p=0.037 for dulaglutide 0.75 mg vs. insulin glargine; p<0.001 for dulaglutide 1.5 mg vs. insulin glargine). Notably, the proportion of patients achieving the HbA1c target (<7%) was significantly higher in the dulaglutide 1.5 mg group (64.8%) than in the insulin glargine group (40%) (p<0.001). Dulaglutide lowers glucose in a concentration-dependent manner. No cases of severe hypoglycemia were reported. The most common adverse drug reactions were gastrointestinal events (e.g., nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea), which were mostly mild to moderate, transient, and tolerable, indicating an overall favorable safety profile.

Trulicity®(Dulaglutide) The product design is patient-centric, featuring an easy-to-use injection device that enables once-weekly, automatic injections without dose adjustment or resuspension. Its hidden-needle design reduces injection-related fear and pain. Utilizing recombinant DNA technology, it exhibits reduced immunogenicity and fewer injection-site reactions compared to microspheres, and can be administered at any time, either before or after meals. These features enhance the injection experience for patients and improve treatment adherence.

Professor Guo Lixin added, “Duyida®(Dulaglutide) has a clear glucose-lowering efficacy, significantly improving the rate of glycemic target attainment in patients. It carries a low risk of hypoglycemia, and its adverse reactions are relatively few and mostly transient and tolerable. Once-weekly administration enhances patient treatment adherence, thereby helping to delay the onset and progression of diabetic complications and improve the health status of patients with diabetes.

Duyida®(Dulaglutide) Empowering “Simple Glucose Control, Easy Living” for a Win-Win Outcome for Patients and Physicians

Professor Yu Xin, Honorary Chairman of the Chinese Society of Psychiatry under the Chinese Medical Association, shared insights at the conference on the severe psychological burden faced by patients with diabetes: “More than half of patients with chronic diseases suffer from poor mental health, worrying that treatment will affect their daily lives. They are prone to negative emotions such as anxiety and depression, which in turn can compromise treatment outcomes.” Du Yi Da®(Dulaglutide) Its convenient glycemic control regimen maximizes patient adherence, thereby reducing the treatment burden, enhancing patients’ attitude and confidence toward therapy, and facilitating a smoother transition from oral antidiabetic agents to injectable therapy for patients with inadequate glycemic control on oral medications, thus fostering mutual trust between physicians and patients.

Professor Yu Xin, Honorary Chairman of the Chinese Society of Psychiatry, Chinese Medical Association

Since receiving approval from the National Medical Products Administration in February 2019, Trulicity®(Dulaglutide) has been approvedPharmaceuticalswide attention in the industry. On the occasion of the product launch, Trulicity®(Dulaglutide) Patient Assistance Program—The “Yi Xiangban” Patient Assistance Service Platform was simultaneously launched, providing patients with benefits for medical expense reimbursement. This platform is the first to integrate commercial insurance into payment for diabetes treatment, alleviating patients’ financial burden and offering one-stop services including pharmacy locator, home delivery of medications, and comprehensive guidance from customer service representatives, thereby creating greater value. Mr. Julio Gay-Ger, President and General Manager of Eli Lilly China, stated, “We are pleased to see Trulicity®(Dulaglutide) has been officially launched in China, providing clinicians with an innovative once-weekly treatment regimen that helps better manage patients’ blood glucose levels and strengthens trust between doctors and patients. Meanwhile, Eli Lilly and Company will accelerate market access for the product at all levels to improve drug accessibility, enabling more patients to benefit from a cost-effective treatment option. This will help patients achieve target outcomes with confidence while reducing societal healthcare costs, thereby supporting the attainment of the chronic disease management goals outlined in “Healthy China 2030.”

Mr. Julio Gay-Ger, President and General Manager of Eli Lilly China