(Yicai) Feb. 13 -- China has approved Novo Nordisk's semaglutide injection for use with another medical condition in addition to type-2 diabetes and weight loss.

The Danish pharmaceutical giant’s application for the drug to be used for a new indication has been given the green light, the China National Medical Products Administration’s drug evaluation center said on its website yesterday.

Although the announcement did not specify for which use, it may be connected with the cardiovascular benefits of Wegovy, the weight-loss version of the medication.

The United States approved last March the extension of Wegovy’s use for major adverse cardiovascular events in overweight or obese adults with established cardiovascular disease.

Last June, China gave the go-ahead for its use in type-2 diabetes and people who have a body mass index of at least 30 kilograms per square meter or between 27 and 30 kilograms per sqm with at least one weight-related comorbidity.

Novo Nordisk's revenue from the Chinese market rose 13 percent to DKK18.5 billion (USD2.6 billion) last year, according to the firm’s annual earnings report for 2024.

Sales of Ozempic, the semaglutide injection used to control blood sugar levels in type-2 diabetes, soared 22 percent to DKK55.8 billion (USD805.6 million) last year. Wegovy, whose official sales in China started in November, made DKK196 million (USD27.4 million).

Novo Nordisk has a leading position in the Chinese market for GLP-1 diabetes treatments, with a nearly 80 percent share, the annual report noted.

Editor: Futura Costaglione