Patients in China will be able to purchase the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy for 1,400 yuan, or about $193, just a fraction of the US list price of $1,349, according to media reports.

The first prescription for the drug in China will reportedly be issued at a public hospital in Shanghai this week and will cost about $193 for a one-month supply of the lowest dose.

The move intensifies the competition with Eli Lilly, which secured approval for its weight loss drug in China in July but has yet to launch it.

Novo Nordisk A/S is launching its top-selling Wegovy obesity drug in China at a fraction of the US price, a key step in unlocking a big, fast-growing market for its blockbuster franchise.

Novo Nordisk has launched its weight-loss drug Wegovy in China after it was approved by local health authorities in June. It is set to intensify competition with rival Eli Lilly, whose popular weight-loss treatment also got the green light months ago but has yet to go on sale in the world's second largest pharmaceutical market.

Novo Nordisk said on Monday it has launched its popular obesity drug Wegovy in China, the world's second-largest pharmaceuticals market. A spokesperson for the Danish drugmaker confirmed the news to Reuters after it was first reported by China-based financial media outlet Yicai.

Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy is now available for use in China, the company confirmed to AFP on Tuesday, as the Asian nation battles high rates of obesity.

Novo Nordisk has officially launched its weight-loss drug Wegovy in China after receiving approval in June. The move pits it against rival Eli Lilly, whose treatment, Zepbound, is yet to hit shelves in the world's second-largest pharmaceutical market.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) has reportedly launched its popular weight-loss drug Wegovy in China ahead of a rival drug by Eli Lilly (LLY). Read more here.