A pill once a week? The giant company joins the race for weight-loss pills

Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy, announced an agreement with Chinese company Hengrui to develop an experimental weight-loss pill taken once a week. The deal could reach $2.6 billion, including an upfront payment of $300 million. The new pill, HRS-1596, targets GLP-1 and GIP receptors and is set to begin advanced clinical trials. Two daily weight-loss pills have already been approved in the US.

Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy, announced an agreement with Chinese pharmaceutical company Hengrui to develop an experimental weight-loss pill taken once a week. The deal, which could be worth up to $2.6 billion, includes an upfront payment of $300 million and additional payments based on development progress. The new pill, HRS-1596, acts on two hormonal receptors, GLP-1 and GIP, involved in regulating appetite and blood sugar levels. It is set to begin advanced clinical trials after receiving approval in China for Phase I trials. In the United States, two daily weight-loss pills have already been approved: a pill version of Wegovy (semaglutide) in December 2025, and Eli Lilly's Foundayo (orforglipron) in April 2026. The uniqueness of the new development is the possibility of weekly intake instead of daily or injection, but the path to approval is still long and results from advanced trials have not yet been published.