"Achieve 520,000-Won Results for Just 40,000 Won"... Patent Expirations Ignite Competition in China's Anti-Obesity Drug Market

China's Obesity Drug Market Projected to Surpass 20 Trillion Won in Four Years

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The landscape of the global anti-obesity drug market is shifting. The expiration of the patents for Wegovy and Ozempic is heralding the full-scale entry of competitors into the market. In particular, it is projected that the size of China's anti-obesity drug market will surpass 20 trillion won in four years.

On March 26, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the Chinese patent for semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic), an anti-obesity drug developed by Novo Nordisk, expired on March 20. As a result, the number of latecomer pharmaceutical companies entering the market is expected to increase rapidly. Consequently, it is anticipated that the Chinese anti-obesity drug market will expand to about $14 billion (approximately 21 trillion won) by 2030.

Patent Expirations... Surge of Generic Drugs

The outlet reported that with the expiration of the patents, the launch of biosimilars (replica biopharmaceuticals) and generics (generic drugs) is expected to surge. Major companies such as Hangzhou Jiuyuan, Livzon, and Qilu Pharmaceutical have already begun approval procedures, and numerous companies are concurrently pursuing their own development projects.

There are even predictions in the market that the number of semaglutide-based generics could increase to around 50 types in a short period. In fact, in the case of diabetes medication sitagliptin, more than 100 products were launched within a year after its patent expired.

'Monthly 40,000 Won Range' Becoming a Reality

Price competition is also materializing quickly. In fact, the price of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, which was initially around 1,900 yuan per month (about 410,000 won) at launch, has now dropped to below 1,000 yuan (about 210,000 won) in some regions and sales channels.

In India, competition among generics has already intensified following patent expiration, with Ozempic now being sold for 8,800 to 11,000 rupees per month (about 140,000 to 170,000 won), and Wegovy for 10,000 to 16,000 rupees (about 160,000 to 250,000 won). In the future, monthly treatment costs are expected to fall further to the 3,000 to 5,000 rupee range (about 40,000 to 80,000 won).

As price barriers decrease, patient groups whose access to treatment was previously limited are expected to enter the market. This is cited as a key factor accelerating the expansion of demand.

Meanwhile, some have raised concerns about potential quality control issues and market overheating due to excessive competition. The race to verify treatment efficacy and safety is expected to emerge as a core variable in the market going forward.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.