Sales of weight-loss drugs in the West have soared in recent years, driven by the approval of a new class of more effective medication, the rapid growth in obese populations owing to poor diet and lack of exercise, and endorsements by celebrities and social media influencers.
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In China, over 60 late-stage drugs are undergoing clinical trials. In the coming years, these may compete with the products of incumbents such as Denmark’s Novo Nordisk and US-based Eli Lilly, Boston-based global consultancy L.E.K. Consulting said in a report in May.
Innovent Biologics, based in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, was the first domestic firm to win approval to market a weight loss drug in the country.
Here are some questions answered about this nascent, but fast-growing drug market.
What are GLP-1 weight-loss drugs?
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