With the approval of the world's first GLP-1RA weekly formulation (trade name: Novo Nordisk) developed and produced by Novo Nordisk for long-term weight management in China, pricing and commercialization have also attracted attention.
Novo Nordisk earlier stated that the drug will be limited in supply in the early stages of its launch in China, focusing on self funded patients.
In addition, a large number of generic drugs entering the weight loss therapy market may change the gaming landscape of the industry in the future.
The company responds to domestic pricing and commercialization situation
Regarding the launch date of this heavyweight loss therapy, Novo Nordisk responded to First Financial reporters, "Since the approval of Novo Nordisk, we have officially launched the relevant process of drug supply according to the plan, and will bring this heavyweight product into the Chinese market as soon as possible to benefit obese patients."
The working principle of these drugs is to mimic a natural hormone called glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 not only regulates blood sugar levels, but also binds to receptors in the brain that control appetite and receptors in the gut that slow down digestion and produce a sense of fullness.
The company stated that the pricing of this therapy in China will be announced during commercial launch. At present, the company's semaglutide weight loss drug is priced differently in various countries. For example, the treatment cost in the United States is as high as $1349 per month, while in Germany and the United Kingdom, the monthly treatment cost is $140 and $92, respectively.
The reporter from First Finance and Economics learned that currently, the drug "Novotel" for the treatment of Smeaglutide type 2 diabetes has entered the medical insurance in China. The cost of 3ml dose is less than 800 yuan, which can be used for at least one month, about 100 dollars per month, and is in a lower price range globally.
However, the patent for Smegglutide in China will expire in 2026, and at least ten Chinese generic drugs are currently in clinical stages. Chinese companies, including New Beijiang Pharmaceutical, a holding subsidiary of Lizhu Group, and Hangzhou Jiuyuan Gene, have submitted the application of smeglutide for the treatment of diabetes. This puts pressure on the prices of imported drugs.
Last year, the sales of Novo Nordisk's Novo Nordisk in China more than doubled, reaching 4.8 billion Danish kroner (approximately 700 million US dollars), accounting for 5% of the total global sales of the drug. Karan Verma, medical research and data analyst of Clarivate, an information service provider, said in a report that Smeaglutide has achieved unprecedented success in Chinese Mainland, but with the patent expiration approaching, Chinese pharmaceutical companies are accelerating to seize the generic drug market.
Goldman Sachs analysts estimated in a report last year that generic drugs could lead to an overall price drop of about 25% for Smegglutide in China.
Generic drugs entering or forcing original pharmaceutical factories to lower prices
Regarding the pricing of Smegglutide weight loss therapy, an expert told First Financial reporters, "It is expected that their initial pricing may be relatively high, but Chinese manufacturers have too strong ability to produce generic drugs. As soon as the patent expires, the 'cabbage price' will soon come."
The previous generation product of Smegglutide, Liraglutide, has already been replicated in China and India. The price of a generic drug of liraglutide produced by Glenmark Pharmaceuticals in India is 70% lower than the original drug price. In China, the Liraglutide generic drug "Liraglutide" of Huadong Pharmaceutical has also been approved for market launch.
In a news article published by Nature on June 19th, it was reported that due to the development of pharmaceutical companies in China and India, best-selling weight loss drugs such as Wegovy may soon become cheaper and benefit more people. This is because many companies are developing generic versions of this complex innovative drug, and some are competing to develop improved versions in order to compete in the global market.
Indian pharmaceutical giants have already announced that they are researching innovative methods for drug synthesis, filling, and manufacturing injection devices. Abhijit Zutshi, Chief Business Officer of Indian pharmaceutical giant Biocon, said that although it remains to be seen how much these methods can reduce costs, they may at least reduce costs by half and ultimately bring prices to one tenth of the current drug price. He added that if drugs are cheaper, more people will use them, thereby expanding demand. This, in turn, may lead to a chain reaction, causing original pharmaceutical companies to lower the prices of existing weight loss drugs to cope with upcoming competition.
Regarding the issue of price reduction, Novo Nordisk has previously responded to First Financial reporters that drug price reductions are mainly in different markets, through medical insurance negotiations with the paying party, based on the value of the drug, and reaching an agreed price with the paying party.
According to clinical trial website records, at least 15 generic drugs of Smegglutide have entered clinical trials in China, of which at least 11 have entered the late clinical stage. Companies that have completed or are currently recruiting for Phase III clinical trials include Hangzhou Jiuyuan Gene, Lizhu Group, Chen'an Biotech/Bowei Biotech, Shiyao Group, East China Pharmaceutical, China Biotech, Qilu Pharmaceutical, etc.
In response to the fierce competition in the generic drug market, Camilla Sylvester, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Strategy and Corporate Affairs of Novo Nordisk, stated at a media conference last month, "For many years, Novo Nordisk has been developing in competition, and innovation is our top priority. Generic drugs enter the market in the later stages of certain product lifecycles when they are not exclusive, which is a pattern in the pharmaceutical industry, but we continue to focus on cutting-edge innovation to provide patients with more innovative solutions."
China has the highest number of overweight or obese people in the world. According to a study conducted in 2020, it is expected that by 2030, the number of overweight or obese adults in China will reach 540 million and 150 million, respectively, an increase of 2.8 times and 7.5 times from the level in 2000.
Novo Nordisk's global competitor, Lilly, also told First Financial reporters that it is expected that GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss indications will be approved in China soon, but no specific timetable has been provided. The indication for diabetes of the drug was approved in China last month. HSBC analysts predict that China may approve weight loss indications for Lilly's GLP-1 drug in the second half of this year or the first half of next year.