Eli Lilly said it will supply its orforglipron pill to authorised healthcare and pharmaceutical institutions. (AFP pic)SHANGHAI: Eli Lilly on Thursday became the first drugmaker to win approval in China for a GLP-1 weight-loss pill, giving it an early advantage over Danish rival Novo Nordisk in the world's second-largest pharmaceutical market.
Until now, Chinese regulators had approved GLP-1 medications for weight management only in injectable form.
Lilly's orforglipron pill — marketed as Foundayo in the US — will compete for market share in China against its own once-weekly GLP-1 obesity injection, as well as similar shots from Novo, Pfizer and local company Innovent Biologics.
The GLP-1 class of drugs mimics a gut hormone to curb appetite and regulate blood sugar in patients with diabetes.
