China approves Eli Lilly's weight-loss pill orforglipron, first oral GLP-1 drug cleared there

Drug maker Eli Lilly has received approval in China for a weight-loss pill. It is reported to be the first pharmaceutical company to win approval in China for a GLP-1 pill of this kind. The development is seen as significant because it gives people being treated for obesity a pill as an alternative to injections.

The company's drug is called orforglipron and will be sold in China under the brand name Muyouda. China's National Medical Products Administration approved it on November 12, 2026. The pill is taken once a day. Until now, GLP-1-based weight-loss drugs in China were mainly available as injections, so the arrival of a pill is expected to bring a major change in weight-loss treatment.

The drug showed significant results in phase 3 clinical trials. In the 72-week trial, participants on the highest dose recorded an average reduction of 12.4 per cent in body weight. GLP-1 drugs help keep appetite in check and keep blood sugar levels balanced, which has raised their importance in treating obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, it has been noted that every person may not get the same result. Medical experts' advice on the drug's benefits, side effects and the correct dose has been described as necessary.

The approval poses a major challenge for Denmark's Novo Nordisk. The company is also trying to get approval in China for the pill form of its weight-loss drug Wegovy. Pfizer and local Chinese drug companies are also competing in this market.

Obesity is rising in China, and demand for weight-loss drugs is expected to grow as well. The annual market for GLP-1 weight-management drugs in China could reach 30 billion yuan in the next five to seven years, it has been stated. Eli Lilly has not yet announced the pill's price in China or the date its sales will begin.