US pharmaceutical company: China approves Eli Lilly's weight loss pill

Shanghai. The Chinese Medicines Agency approved the weight loss pill Orforglipron from the US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly on Thursday. This gives the company an advantage over its Danish competitor Novo Nordisk in the world's second largest pharmaceutical market.

Both companies assume that medication in tablet form will appeal to patients who are wary of weight loss injections. A corresponding preparation from Novo Nordisk is not yet approved in the People's Republic. Eli Lilly submitted its application first.

The new drug competes for market share in China with weekly weight-loss injections from Novo, Pfizer and the domestic company Innovent Biologics. According to China's National Health Commission, the proportion of overweight or obese people there could rise to over 65 percent by 2030.