US Edition
Cost of Obesity Drugs Drops but Barriers to Access Remain
CHINA, JUL 15 – The drug demonstrated an average 17.7% weight loss at 48 weeks with 88% of patients losing at least 5%, supporting its planned regulatory filing in China.
- Hengrui Pharma and Kailera Therapeutics announced positive Phase 3 trial results of their once-weekly injectable obesity drug HRS9531 in China on July 15, 2025.
- The study included 567 participants who were either obese or overweight with at least one related health condition, and they were assigned to receive weekly injections of HRS9531 at doses of 2, 4, or 6 milligrams, or a placebo, over a 48-week period.
- Participants on the highest 6 mg dose lost an average of 19.2% body weight with no plateau, while 88% lost at least 5% and 44.4% lost at least 20% of their weight.
- Kailera CEO Ron Renaud stated they will advance KAI-9531 globally by evaluating higher doses and longer treatment, aiming to build on the drug's best-in-class potential.
- Hengrui plans to file for market approval in China soon, while Kailera prepares global studies, suggesting the drug could compete with existing therapies like Zepbound and expand obesity treatment options.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Hengrui’s Obesity Drug Rivals Zepbound in Late-Stage China Trial
Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. and its US partner said their obesity drug candidate succeeded in a late-stage China study, a key step toward securing approval as domestic biotech firms increasingly challenge foreign rivals.
Hengrui Pharma’s Potential Rival to El Lilly’s Zepbound Leads to 18% Weight Loss in Key Study
The Phase 3 results in China are encouraging for Kailera Therapeutics, which holds rights to the molecule in the rest of the world. The startup is preparing a global clinical development program for this drug, a once-weekly injectable GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist.
Kailera drug shows notable weight loss in China trial
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Kailera touts late-stage win for weight-loss drug in China
By Mariam Sunny (Reuters) -U.S.-based Kailera Therapeutics and Chinese firm Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals’ experimental weight-loss drug has helped overweight patients lose up to 17.7% of body weight in a late-stage study in China, the companies said on Tuesday. Up to 88% of participants who received the drug, known as KAI-9531 outside China, lost at least 5% of their weight after 48 weeks compared to placebo, meeting the study’s main goals. T…
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