B3Trade
Chinese makers line up semaglutide copies as the local patent nears its end
More than ten Chinese companies have applied for, or are testing, copies of semaglutide, with the main Chinese patent due to expire in 2026.
Dateline
Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Hangzhou from West Lake Photo: User:CatOnMars, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)
In one lineChina is building its own semaglutide supply chain, ingredient to pen.
What is happening
Novo Nordisk's main semaglutide compound patent in China is due to expire in 2026. Ahead of that, more than ten Chinese companies have filed for approval of copies or are running trials, according to trade press tracking the national regulator.
Who
Companies reported in the race include firms based in Hangzhou, Zhuhai and Shanghai. Several make their own peptide ingredient as well as pens.
Copies of a peptide
Because semaglutide is a peptide, copies are reviewed more closely than simple pills. Regulators look at impurities, the side chain and the pen. Some companies make the backbone by chemistry instead of yeast.
Why it matters beyond China
A large domestic industry means more peptide ingredient capacity in the world. Where patents have ended, buyers may get new suppliers.
The caveat
Patent dates, challenges and filing counts were taken from reports, not checked one by one.
What it changes for supply
Domestic makers would supply China first. Over time, low-cost ingredient made in China could matter for other markets where patents have ended.
Still open
How many applications are approved, how fast, and at what price.
SourceChinese regulator (NMPA) application records as reported by trade press, 2025–2026
Peptide Global covers how medicines are made and traded. Nothing here is medical advice.
