Initial prescriptions for the drug are expected to be released in Shanghai this week, Yicai News Service reported on Monday.
Vigovi is also listed as available for pre-orders on several e-commerce platforms where patients can register for clinical visits to assess their eligibility for treatment and prescriptions.
Prices vary by dose, but a one-month supply of 0.25 mg starter dose will cost 1,400 yuan ($193.31), according to Yicai and online listings.
This is significantly lower than the $1,349 list price for Wegovy in the US. That’s even lower than prices in some European markets that US lawmakers have cited in criticizing the Danish pharmaceutical firm for its pricing.
Private payments
Still, while many patients in the U.S. and Europe rely on insurance providers to cover at least part of the drug’s cost, Chinese buyers will have to pay largely out of pocket.
Vigovi is not reimbursable under China’s national health insurance program, which covers 95% of the country’s 1.4 billion people, and officials have rejected coverage for weight loss.
Novo is exploring ways to make the drug more affordable, including commercial insurance, Christine Zhou, the company’s global senior vice president and China president, told Yicai.
Novo announced the China launch of Vigovi at an event on Sunday, nearly five months after the drug was approved in the country.
Ozempic, a drug containing the same active ingredient as semaglutide, was approved in 2021 and has since been added to the state insurance reimbursement list for type 2 diabetes.
Global sales of both drugs, which target a hormone known as GLP-1, continue to grow as Novo works to overcome shortages caused by high demand.
Vigovi brought in $2.5 billion for Novo in the third quarter, exceeding analysts’ expectations.
Obesity rates are on the rise in China, with nearly 85 million adults suffering from the disease by 2023, according to a study.
US-based Eli Lilly & Co., Novo’s main rival, has also won Chinese approval for its weight-loss drug, while domestic biotech companies are working on competing candidates.
Novo has said it will limit the initial China launch for Vigovi to avoid global disruption.
