China approves Lilly weight-loss pill, ahead of Novo

China has approved Eli Lilly’s once-daily oral GLP-1 weight-management drug orforglipron, making it the first GLP-1 weight-loss pill cleared in the country and giving Lilly an early lead over Novo Nordisk. The pill will compete with weekly injections from Novo, Pfizer and China’s Innovent Biologics; Novo’s oral Wegovy has not yet been approved there. Lilly and Novo see pills as a way to reach patients reluctant to use injections, amid forecasts that more than 65% of China’s population could be overweight or obese by 2030. Pricing and launch details for orforglipron have not been announced.