Semaglutide

Semaglutide is a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist originally developed by Novo Nordisk, marketed as Ozempic for diabetes since its 2017 FDA approval and launched in China as 诺和泰 in 2021 . The drug mimics the body's natural GLP-1 hormone to lower blood glucose and suppress appetite, producing clinically significant weight loss that has driven massive demand growth . By 2023, Ozempic/诺和泰 generated roughly RMB 100.9 billion in global sales, up 66% year-over-year, with China contributing RMB 5.08 billion at 137% growth . As of November 2024, Semaglutide products collectively accounted for 69% of Novo Nordisk's revenue and were on track to overtake Keytruda as the world's top-selling drug . In China's competitive landscape, Zhitai Bio developed a biosimilar candidate (ZT001) and licensed it to Tonghua Dongbao in May 2024 to accelerate domestic and international commercialization .