On June 16, pharmaceutical companies developing weight-loss medications, such as Eli Lilly and Pfizer, are stepping up their competition in China by launching high-profile advertising campaigns in Shanghai’s busiest commercial districts. These efforts aim to increase public awareness of their products and gain market share.
This surge in advertising signals growing competition in China’s fast-expanding weight-loss drug sector, where four major players are emerging: Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and Innovent Biologics. Companies are increasingly emphasizing the broader therapeutic benefits of their medicines to stand out from rivals.
At West Nanjing Road Station, a key transit hub serving multiple Shanghai Metro lines, Innovent has dedicated an entire corridor to large-scale ads for its weight-loss injection, Xinermei® (mazdutide). Just one stop away at Jing’an Temple Station, Eli Lilly has rolled out a campaign focusing on obstructive sleep apnea, an approved use for its weight-loss drug tirzepatide. Last month, Pfizer unveiled a massive billboard for its “Pfizer Weight Management” campaign directly across from the Louis Vuitton flagship on West Nanjing Road.
As more products hit the market and supply increases, competition is expected to ramp up further. Firms are highlighting differences in efficacy, indications, and side effects to attract consumers and boost brand recognition.
A netizen commented, “Weight-loss ads are everywhere now; you just can’t avoid them.”
Highlighting Varied Treatment Benefits
It’s noted that Eli Lilly and Innovent are using their advertising campaigns to spotlight additional therapeutic uses for their respective products. Eli Lilly’s ads focus on tirzepatide’s approved treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, while Innovent is promoting mazdutide’s potential use for fatty liver disease, even before regulatory approval has been granted.
These prominent advertising efforts reflect a fierce race for market dominance. While Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk remain the leading brands, Pfizer and Innovent are gradually increasing their footholds in the market.
As a newer player, Innovent emphasizes mazdutide’s potential benefits for fatty liver disease in its marketing. Meanwhile, Pfizer promotes its weight-loss candidate by highlighting a milder side-effect profile.
“Each weight-loss medication has its unique features, and healthy competition provides patients with more treatment options,” said Liu Lianyong, head of endocrinology at Punan Branch of Shanghai Renji Hospital. “What patients truly need isn’t just to lose weight but to see sustainable, effective, and comfortable improvements to their metabolic health.”
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 2.5 billion people worldwide are overweight, and 890 million are living with obesity, underscoring the vast growth potential of the global weight-loss drug market.