A human-derived, ultra-long-acting GLP-1 injection independently researched and developed by Innogen, a Shanghai-based medical technology enterprise, was recently approved for market by China's National Medical Products Administration for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults.

This innovative injection, which only needs to be administered once a week to lower blood sugar levels and improve metabolic function for diabetic patients, has also exhibited positive results in achieving weight loss in ongoing clinical trials.

The launch of this medicine allowed Innogen to become Asia's first enterprise and the world's third to possess independent intellectual property rights for a human-derived, long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist, poised to challenge the leading market position of imported drugs like semaglutide by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and tirzepatide by US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.

"We believe that with this new medicine at hand, healthcare workers will be able to assist more type 2 diabetes patients in effectively managing their blood sugar levels and weight, ushering in a new era of metabolic health," said Jia Weiping, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor at Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

Home to the largest population of diabetes patients globally, China has an estimated 148 million adult diabetes patients, with over 60 percent being overweight or obese. By 2030, the number of overweight and obese individuals in the country is projected to reach 610 million, further escalating the risk of diabetes, hypertension and other diseases among the population.

"This innovative injection boasts an average half-life of up to 204 hours in the human body, making it the product with the longest half-life among all GLP-1 drugs in the global market so far," said Wang Qinghua, founder of Innogen.

He added that data from clinical trials showed that in non-diabetic individuals, a four-week use of the medicine resulted in a weight reduction of 4 kilograms. This translates to a weight loss rate of 6.2 percent, while 71 percent of trial participants achieved a weight reduction of over 5 percent, he said.

The first prescription of this injection in China is expected to be made at Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital this week.