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Chinese drug makers are taking on a Western pharma group's blockbuster medication. At least 15 generic versions of popular weight loss and diabetes drugs Ozempic and Weigovi are being developed in China. Here's a closer look. Novo Nordisk, maker of blockbuster drug Ozempic, may face serious competition in China. The Danish company had high hopes that the drug would boom in the promising Chinese market. In 2021, Ozempic Last year, Novo Nordisk saw sales of the drug there double to almost $700 million. It's expecting Weigovi to be approved this year. But the patent on semaglutide, the active ingredient in both medicines, expires in China in 2026, which is far ahead of the expiry in other key markets like Japan, Europe and the US. Novo is in a legal fight over the patent in China, but an adverse court ruling could mean the company loses its semaglutide exclusivity even sooner. Those circumstances have drawn several of the country's drug makers to the fray. Records show at least 11 semaglutide drug candidates from Chinese firms are in the final stages of clinical trials. And one company said it has developed a drug that has, quote, similar clinical efficacy and safety as Ozempic. In April, it applied for approval for sale, which it has said could come in the second half of 2025, with plans to sell the drug the following year. That's unless Novo loses its patent battle sooner.