As China embarks on its three-year "weight management" campaign, Novo Nordisk has stepped forward with its powerful tools to combat obesity. The company's commitment aligns with the national initiative to address the growing issue of weight-related health problems, which have become a significant concern in the country.

Camilla Sylvest, Executive Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Corporate Affairs at Novo Nordisk, said in an interview with huanqiu.com that obesity is a very serious chronic disease that is also a multi-factorial disease. "Obesity is then leading to a lot of other series of diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases, with unfortunately an increased probability. So, this is not just for China, but for the whole world too. And today there is more than 1 billion people in the world living with obesity," she said.

Camilla Sylvest, Executive Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Corporate Affairs at Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk's weight management solutions

From a medical perspective, obesity is a complex chronic disease influenced by biological, genetic, social, psychological, and environmental factors. It affects overall health in a multifaceted manner and is associated with over 200 comorbidities. In the field of weight loss medications, Novo Nordisk has emerged as a leading global representative of GLP-1 RA (glucagon-like peptide-1). Semaglutide, its flagship product, has been approved for obesity treatment for nearly four years. In 2024, semaglutide (Wegovy®) for long-term weight management, was approved and commercially launched in China, and received positive market feedback, according to the company.

Wegovy (semaglutide) injection for long-term weight management

Novo Nordisk's SELECT cardiovascular outcomes trial demonstrated that semaglutide 2.4 mg could reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% in adults who are overweight or have obesity. "We currently offer three products containing semaglutide, targeting both type 2 diabetes treatment and long-term weight management. These products have not only enriched Novo Nordisk's portfolio in China but also provide patients with more treatment options," Camilla said.

Chronic disease management: a long-term battle for health

Chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney diseases, etc. require long-term management and treatment. Effective management can improve patients' quality of life and significantly reduce healthcare costs. Novo Nordisk views cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney diseases, and metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), as interrelated cardiometabolic conditions that often coexist in patients.

The SELECT trial, covering approximately 17,500 patients globally, showed that semaglutide has the potential to reduce the risks of major adverse cardiovascular events in individuals who are overweight or have obesity who had previously experienced one or more cardiovascular events. The FLOW trial demonstrated that semaglutide could significantly reduce the risk of death by 24% in diabetes patients with chronic kidney disease. "These findings indicate that Novo Nordisk's products can reduce the incidence of these costly and life-threatening conditions, improve patients' quality of life, and alleviate the societal healthcare burden," Camilla said.

According to Camilla, to address the challenge of chronic disease management, Novo Nordisk emphasizes the importance of raising public awareness of obesity and other chronic diseases. It also partners with Chinese government agencies and universities to conduct educational programs on diabetes and obesity, leveraging local expertise.

'China Essentials': A global collaboration in innovation

In 2019, Novo Nordisk launched its "China Essentials" program, integrating China into its global synchronized R&D system. This initiative aims to achieve simultaneous development of innovative drugs between China and the world, ensuring that Chinese patients can benefit from latest treatments simultaneously with the rest of the world.

In 2024, Novo Nordisk achieved historic breakthroughs in China. The company's insulin icodec injection was approved by NMPA for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults, realizing the synchronized clinical trials and approvals both domestically and internationally. 

Novo Nordisk continues to introduce more innovative products in China. By the end of 2024, Novo Nordisk brought 22 innovative treatments and 11 injection devices to China. 

According to Camilla, Novo Nordisk has a full value chain presence in China with nearly 7,000 employees. The company established the first research and development center of a pharmaceutical in China. Site Tianjin, one of Novo Nordisk's strategic global production sites, has achieved local production supply. As of December 2024, the company's "Clinical Research Strategic Cooperation Center" expanded to over 40 departments across more than 10 medical institutions.

Novo Nordisk Production Site Tianjin, one of Novo Nordisk’s strategic global production sites

Kezhou Zhang, Corporate Vice President of Clinical Operation and Development, Regulatory affairs and Medical Affairs at Novo Nordisk Region China, noted, "Over the past five years, the 'China Essentials' program has made significant progress. We are actively preparing or conducting multiple clinical trials in new therapeutic areas such as obesity, hemophilia, growth disorders, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney diseases, MASH, and Alzheimer's disease."

"As a purpose-driven company, our mission is to drive change to address global health challenges and accelerate our multi-disease footprint. Looking ahead, we will continue to fulfill our long-term commitment to patients through driving innovation and forging new partnerships to continue to the building of a Healthy China," said Christine Zhou, Senior Vice President and President of Novo Nordisk Region China.