Guang Zhou Ri Bao·2025-05-18 19:11Group 1 - The "weight management year" initiative in China is driving a surge in weight loss consumption, leading to intense competition in the pharmaceutical sector for weight loss drugs [2] - Eli Lilly's drug, tirzepatide, has shown superior weight loss effects compared to Novo Nordisk's semaglutide in a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine [2] - Novo Nordisk's semaglutide has become the best-selling drug globally, surpassing Merck's pembrolizumab, with global sales reaching 78.087 billion Danish Krone (approximately 84.2 billion RMB) in Q1, reflecting an 18% growth at constant exchange rates [2] Group 2 - Eli Lilly reported total revenue of $12.729 billion in Q1, a 45% year-on-year increase, with revenue from the Chinese market at $450 million, up 20% [2] - The weight loss drug market is expanding due to increasing global demand, particularly in China, leading to intensified competition among domestic pharmaceutical companies [2] - Chinese companies such as Hengrui Medicine, Innovent Biologics, and East China Pharmaceutical are entering the GLP-1 drug market, with 75 products related to obesity and 49 updates expected by December 2024 [3]