1 week ago
China’s Weight-Loss Drug Market Attracts Big Pharma Advertising Push
Several drug companies want to sell weight-loss medicines in China.
Chinese law does not let them advertise prescription drugs directly to ordinary people.
Instead, companies are talking about obesity, exercise and health problems linked to being overweight.
These messages have appeared in subway stations, gyms, soccer stadiums and online.
Some advertisements use company logos or mascots without naming a medicine.
Doctors say more patients are asking for particular weight-loss drugs by name.
The companies say their campaigns are meant to educate people and support healthy lifestyles.
Legal and medical experts worry that some messages may still act like advertisements.
The market could grow much larger in the next several years.
Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Innovent Biologics are competing in China’s growing GLP-1 weight-loss drug market.
Chinese rules prohibit direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines, prompting companies to promote obesity awareness and healthy weight management instead.
Campaigns have appeared in metro stations, gyms, soccer stadiums, social media and public health exhibits.
Patients are increasingly asking doctors for specific drugs, including Wegovy, Mounjaro and Xinermei, according to hospital employees.
Experts warn some campaigns may indirectly promote prescription medicines, while Lilly says its activities do not promote specific drugs.
- Who
- Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Innovent Biologics are competing in China, alongside partners including Meituan and Supermonkey.
- What
- Drugmakers are using obesity-awareness and healthy-weight campaigns to promote interest in a prescription weight-loss market while avoiding direct drug advertising.
- Where
- Campaigns described in the reports appeared in Chinese cities and venues including Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, metro stations, gyms, soccer stadiums and social-media platforms.
- When
- Novo launched its weight-management GLP-1 drug in late 2024; Lilly followed in January 2025, Pfizer prescriptions began in April 2025, and Innovent followed in July 2025.
- Why
- Chinese regulations prohibit direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines, while companies are pursuing a market expected to expand substantially.
Health education and awareness
Indirect promotion concerns
Purpose of campaigns
Health education and awareness
Drugmakers say their activities provide information about obesity, related health risks and healthy lifestyles without promoting a specific medicine.
Indirect promotion concerns
Medical and legal experts say company logos, mascots, partnerships and references to treatment benefits may lead consumers to associate campaigns with particular prescription drugs.
Regulatory compliance
Health education and awareness
Eli Lilly said its educational activities do not promote specific medicines and are consistent with China’s health strategies.
Indirect promotion concerns
A legal expert said Innovent and Meituan subway billboards could make consumers associate the campaign with Innovent’s weight-loss drug, despite not naming it.
Public communication
Health education and awareness
Novo Nordisk said it is broadening communication beyond doctors and making obesity information more accessible to patients.
Indirect promotion concerns
A Soochow University professor said pharmaceutical companies rarely promote medicines for other diseases in public settings or through similar indirect advertising.
Key facts
- China’s obesity outlook
- The National Health Commission has said the share of overweight or obese people could exceed 65% by 2030.
- Current market estimate
- GLP-1 weight-management sales are estimated at 3 billion to 4 billion yuan.
- Projected market
- Sales could reach 30 billion yuan, or about $4 billion, in the next five to seven years.
- Companies competing
- Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Innovent Biologics are competing with once-weekly GLP-1 treatments.
- Named medicines
- The article identifies Wegovy, Mounjaro and Xinermei, also known as mazdutide.
- Advertising restriction
- China does not allow drug companies to advertise prescription medicines directly to consumers.
- Regulatory concern
- Experts said some disease-awareness campaigns could cross into indirect drug advertising.
Quotes
Jia Hepeng
Professor of science communication at Soochow University in Suzhou
“I focus very much on what we should do and what is the right thing to do, what we can learn from competitors. If you feel a competitor is much better in communication, layman language to the public, then we have to transform the way, how we communicate, from (a) medical educational perspective.”
telegraphindia.com
“I rarely see pharmaceutical companies promoting prescription drugs for hypertension, tumors, and other diseases in public settings, or even through indirect advertising.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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