Novo did not disclose the new prices, but media outlet Yicai reported that list prices for the two highest dosages of Wegovy were cut by 48% in some provinces, dropping to 987 yuan ($141) and 1,284 yuan per month, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
“We can confirm that we are adjusting our prices of Wegovy in China,” Novo said in a statement to Reuters. “We believe this pricing adjustment will further help alleviate the treatment burden for patients and improve their quality of life.”
Lilly did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Prices for Lilly’s Mounjaro are also set to decrease from January 1, according to a WeChat post by a hospital in Nanjing, though the extent of the price cut was not specified. On Meituan, a 10mg Mounjaro injector pen was listed at a projected cost of 445 yuan ($63), down from 2,180 yuan.
China faces a rapidly growing market for weight-loss drugs, with over 65% of its population projected to be overweight or obese by 2030. Both Novo and Lilly face competition from local drugmakers, including Innovent Biologics, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, and Hangzhou Jiuyuan Genetic Biopharmaceutical, as well as potential further competition following Novo’s 2026 patent expiry for Wegovy’s active ingredient semaglutide in China and other key markets.
Yicai reported that Novo’s price cuts will initially apply to Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in southwestern China. Last month, Novo also cut Wegovy prices by up to 37% in India, while both Novo and Lilly agreed to reduce U.S. prices in November, targeting cash-paying consumers in fast-emerging obesity drug markets.
