China has approved its first orally administered GLP-1 weight-loss drug, permitting Eli Lilly to sell its orforglipron pill in a market where 630 million adults could be overweight or obese by 2050.

GLP-1 drugs aid weight loss by mimicking a natural gut hormone that suppresses appetite and regulates blood sugar levels.

The medication has soared in popularity in recent years, with drugmakers now competing to release pills as an alternative to existing injection treatments.

The National Medical Products Administration said on Thursday it had approved US-based pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly's pills, marketed as "Muyouda", to treat obese or overweight adults with at least one weight-related condition.

The American company's once-daily pills were approved in the United States in April.

It has beaten competitors such as Danish firm Novo Nordisk – which makes Wegovy – to be the first to gain approval for an oral version of the medicine in China.

GLP-1 injections from Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and domestic firm Innovent are already widely available in the country.

The Chinese market for weight-loss treatments is growing rapidly.

The number of obese or overweight adults in China could reach 630 million by 2050, according to a 2025 study published in The Lancet.

The National Health Commission has warned that 65 percent of China's population will be obese or overweight by 2030. (AFP)


Edited by Aaron Tam