Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy is now available for use in China, the company confirmed to AFP on Tuesday, as the Asian nation battles high rates of obesity. The Danish pharmaceutical firm is the maker of two game-changing treatments ...

Novo Nordisk has launched its weight-loss drug Wegovy in China after it was approved by local health authorities in June. It is set to intensify competition with rival Eli Lilly, whose popular weight-loss treatment also got the green light months ago but has yet to go on sale in the world's second largest pharmaceutical market.

Novo Nordisk gained approval for Wegovy in China in June, and will initially target Chinese patients willing to pay out-of-pocket for the weekly injectable drug

Novo Nordisk launches its weight-loss drug Wegovy in China after approval by local health authorities in June.

Novo Nordisk reported forecast-beating third-quarter sales of its popular Wegovy weight-loss drug on Wednesday, reassuring investors worried that demand was slowing and it could lose the race in the fast-growing obesity drug market.

Wegovy is being made available to Chinese patients five months after its approval in the country. Novo will sell the medicine for about $193.27 for a one-month supply.

The pharmaceutical giant’s blockbuster weight-loss drug beat sales expectations in the third quarter, sending shares higher in early trade.

Novo Nordisk A/S is launching its top-selling Wegovy obesity drug in China at a fraction of the US price, a key step in unlocking a big, fast-growing market for its blockbuster franchise.