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Regulator: National Medical Products Administration (NMPA)

GLP-1 drugs and peptides in China

In China a medicine can only be sold if the national drug regulator, the NMPA, has approved it. Several GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes drugs are approved, including some developed by Chinese companies, and cheaper local copies of semaglutide are still waiting for approval. The national health insurance pays for these drugs only for type 2 diabetes, not for weight loss. Peptides such as BPC-157 have no approval, and the law does not allow them to be made, imported or sold as medicines.

Last verified 2026-09-29 · how we verify

Official regulator site

GLP-1 medicines

Approved originators and copies: semaglutide (originator only; domestic generics pending), tirzepatide (imported and localised product), dulaglutide, exenatide (originator plus a domestic generic from 2025), and liraglutide (originator plus domestic biosimilars from 2023). China-developed incretin drugs approved by NMPA include mazdutide (Innovent; weight management 2025-06-27, type 2 diabetes by November 2025; a higher-strength application accepted 2025-11-25 and still in review), ecnoglutide (Sciwind; type 2 diabetes 2026-01-30, weight management 2026-03-06) and visepegenatide (PegBio; type 2 diabetes, 2025-11-20). PEG-loxenatide and efsubaglutide alfa are also on the 2025 NRDL for type 2 diabetes. The 2025 NRDL covers GLP-1 drugs for type 2 diabetes only. Other items in CDE's public register include a new import marketing application for semaglutide tablets (accepted 2026-08-27; Novo Nordisk's tablets already have post-approval supplementary filings since 2024), the first domestic tirzepatide generic application (2026-08), and clinical-trial-stage filings for orforglipron, retatrutide, survodutide, CagriSema, amycretin, eloralintide and maridebart cafraglutide; none of these clinical-stage drugs is approved in China.

Peptides

Peptides such as BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu, KPV, MOTS-c, Semax, Selank, epitalon, ipamorelin, CJC-1295, sermorelin, AOD-9604, melanotan II, kisspeptin, DSIP and LL-37 have no NMPA marketing approval that we could find. No application under those names appears in CDE's public register, apart from old filings for thymosin beta-4, the parent protein of TB-500 (2014), and for sermorelin under its Chinese name (2002 and 2005), none of which led to an approval we could find. Under Article 98 of the Drug Administration Law it is prohibited to produce or import a drug without an approval document, and Article 124 sets confiscation and heavy fines and, in serious cases, 5 to 15 days' detention by the police for responsible individuals. Hospital preparations are the only lawful in-house route and cannot be sold on the market. Online, prescription drugs may be sold only with a verified prescription and never as a free gift (Online Drug Sales Measures). For athletes, the WADA Prohibited List names BPC-157 (non-approved substances), TB-500 (growth factors), ipamorelin, CJC-1295, sermorelin, tesamorelin and AOD-9604 (growth-hormone-related) and MOTS-c (metabolic modulators); China's national anti-doping organisation is CHINADA. Coenzyme I (NAD) for injection is a separate case: domestic applications in CDE's register indicate a marketed prescription product.

Advertising rules

Under the Advertising Law (2021 amendment) prescription drugs may be advertised only in medical or pharmaceutical professional journals jointly designated by the health and drug authorities, so public advertising of prescription GLP-1 drugs is not permitted (Article 15). Drug advertisements must not claim efficacy or safety guarantees, quote cure or effectiveness rates, compare with other drugs, or use endorsers, and must show contraindications and adverse reactions prominently (Article 16). The Drug Administration Law also requires advertisements to be approved in advance by the provincial advertising review body (Article 89). Market regulators can order a stop and corrective publicity and impose fines based on the advertising cost, with licence revocation possible in serious cases (Advertising Law, Article 58). Online sellers must display prescription and over-the-counter drugs separately, may not give away prescription drugs, and may sell prescription drugs only after verifying a genuine prescription.

Every molecule in China

MoleculeStatusWhat it meansVerified
AmycretinNot approvedNot approved in China; Novo Nordisk has only clinical-trial applications on file.Details →source2026-09-29
AOD-9604Not approvedNot an approved medicine in China; unlawful to sell as a drug, and it is banned in sport.Details →source2026-09-29
BPC-157Not approvedNot an approved medicine in China; producing, importing or selling it as a drug is unlawful, and it is banned in sport.Details →source2026-09-29
Bremelanotide (PT-141)Not approvedNot approved in China; the only CDE record we found is a 2019 import clinical-trial application.Details →source2026-09-29
Cagrilintide (and CagriSema)Not approvedNot approved in China; CagriSema has been tested in China but only trial-stage filings are visible.Details →source2026-09-29
CJC-1295Not approvedNot an approved medicine in China; unlawful to sell as a drug, and it is banned in sport.Details →source2026-09-29
DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide)Not approvedNo NMPA approval found for DSIP; it cannot lawfully be sold as a medicine in China.Details →source2026-09-29
DulaglutideApprovedApproved in China and on the national insurance list for type 2 diabetes, with restrictions; a domestic biosimilar application is in review.Details →source2026-09-29
EcnoglutideApprovedApproved in China for type 2 diabetes (January 2026) and weight management (March 2026); Chinese-developed.Details →source2026-09-29
Elamipretide (SS-31)Not approvedNot approved in China; Stealth BioTherapeutics filed an import clinical-trial application in 2026.Details →source2026-09-29
EloralintideNot approvedNot approved in China; Lilly has import clinical-trial filings and Chinese phase 3 sites, but no marketing application was found.Details →source2026-09-29
EpitalonNot approvedNo NMPA approval found for epitalon; it cannot lawfully be sold as a medicine in China.Details →source2026-09-29
ExenatideGenerics availableApproved, with a domestic generic approved in 2025; insurance covers it for type 2 diabetes.Details →source2026-09-29
GHK-Cu (copper peptide)Not approvedNo NMPA drug approval found for GHK-Cu; it cannot lawfully be sold as a medicine in China.Details →source2026-09-29
IpamorelinNot approvedNot an approved medicine in China; unlawful to sell as a drug, and it is banned in sport.Details →source2026-09-29
KisspeptinNot approvedNo NMPA approval found for kisspeptin; it cannot lawfully be sold as a medicine in China.Details →source2026-09-29
KPVNot approvedNo NMPA approval found for KPV; it cannot lawfully be sold as a medicine in China.Details →source2026-09-29
LiraglutideGenerics availableApproved, with Chinese-made biosimilar versions on the market since 2023 and insurance cover for type 2 diabetes.Details →source2026-09-29
LL-37Not approvedNo NMPA approval found for LL-37; it cannot lawfully be sold as a medicine in China.Details →source2026-09-29
Maridebart cafraglutide (MariTide)Not approvedNot approved in China; Amgen has trial-stage filings and Chinese sites in its outcomes trial.Details →source2026-09-29
MazdutideApprovedApproved in China (first in the world) for weight management and type 2 diabetes; a higher-strength application is under review.Details →source2026-09-29
Melanotan IINot approvedNo NMPA approval found for melanotan II; it cannot lawfully be sold as a medicine in China.Details →source2026-09-29
MOTS-cNot approvedNot an approved medicine in China; unlawful to sell as a drug, and it is named on the WADA banned list.Details →source2026-09-29
NAD+Approved, restrictedCoenzyme I (NAD) for injection has domestic prescription-drug filings; wellness or anti-ageing use is not an approved purpose.Details →source2026-09-29
OrforglipronNot approvedNot approved in China; Lilly has clinical-trial filings and Chinese trial sites, but we found no marketing application.Details →source2026-09-29
PramlintideNot approvedNot approved in China; only old clinical-stage filings by domestic developers appear in the public register.Details →source2026-09-29
RetatrutideNot approvedNot approved in China or anywhere else; only trial-stage filings exist.Details →source2026-09-29
SelankNot approvedNo NMPA approval found for Selank; it cannot lawfully be sold as a medicine in China.Details →source2026-09-29
SemaglutideApprovedApproved in China as an imported brand; domestic generics are still waiting for approval.Details →source2026-09-29
SemaxNot approvedNo NMPA approval found for Semax; it cannot lawfully be sold as a medicine in China.Details →source2026-09-29
SermorelinNot approvedNo NMPA approval found for sermorelin; it cannot lawfully be sold as a medicine in China and is banned in sport.Details →source2026-09-29
SetmelanotideNot approvedNot approved in China; the only CDE record we found is a 2022 import clinical-trial application.Details →source2026-09-29
SurvodutideNot approvedNot approved in China; Boehringer Ingelheim has trial-stage filings and a Chinese study only.Details →source2026-09-29
TB-500 (thymosin beta-4 fragment)Not approvedNot an approved medicine in China; it is unlawful to make, import or sell it as a drug, and it is banned in sport.Details →source2026-09-29
TesamorelinNot approvedNo NMPA approval found for tesamorelin; it cannot lawfully be sold as a medicine in China.Details →source2026-09-29
TirzepatideApprovedApproved in China; Lilly's imported and locally made products are sold, and insurance covers it for type 2 diabetes only.Details →source2026-09-29

For experts

The regulatory detail

Medicines are regulated under the Drug Administration Law (in force 2019-12-01) and its Implementing Regulations (State Council Order No. 828, promulgated 2026-01-16, effective 2026-05-15). The NMPA, with its Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE), grants marketing authorisation under the Provisions for Drug Registration (SAMR Order 27, 2020). Article 98 of the Law prohibits producing or importing a drug without an approval document, and Article 124 sets confiscation and fines of 15 to 30 times the goods value, with a mitigation clause for small quantities of a drug that is lawfully marketed abroad. There is no compounding-pharmacy channel comparable to US 503A/503B: medical-institution preparations (Article 76) must meet a clinical need not supplied by the market, need provincial approval, may be used only on prescription inside the preparing institution (or, with drug-regulator approval, transferred between designated institutions), and may not be sold on the market (Law, Article 76; Implementing Regulations, Articles 54-59). Personal importation is limited to a reasonable personal-use quantity carried or posted in under the customs rules (Law, Article 65; Implementing Regulations, Article 48); the Law does not turn an unapproved drug into a lawful one. Reimbursement is through the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL). In the 2025 edition, effective 2026-01-01, every GLP-1 entry (semaglutide, tirzepatide, dulaglutide, liraglutide, exenatide, lixisenatide, PEG-loxenatide, efsubaglutide alfa and two insulin combinations) is limited to type 2 diabetes, with no obesity indication, and the 2026 adjustment cycle is under way (818 applications received, 557 passing initial review for the basic list). Prices of imported brands fell sharply in late 2025 ahead of the semaglutide compound patent expiry on 2026-03-20. As of 2026-09-08 a listed developer stated that no domestically made semaglutide was approved and only the originator's imported product was on the market, while many domestic biosimilar and generic applications were accepted by CDE. Enforcement in the distribution chain is run through NMPA campaigns such as the 2026 Qingyuan action; we did not find a GLP-1-specific NMPA enforcement notice, and the NMPA's own database could not be queried automatically, so approvals were cross-checked against NMPA announcements, the NRDL, CDE's public application register and company filings.

Official sources we monitor

Recent changes in China

  1. 2025-06-27

    China approves mazdutide for chronic weight management

    Innovent announced on 27 June 2025 that China's NMPA approved mazdutide, a dual glucagon and GLP-1 receptor agonist, for chronic weight management in adults with overweight or obesity. The approval was supported by the GLORY-1 phase 3 trial.

  2. 2025-05-25

    GLORY-1: mazdutide produces about 14% weight loss at 48 weeks in Chinese adults

    In the GLORY-1 phase 3 trial of 610 Chinese adults with obesity or overweight, mean body weight fell by up to 14.0% at week 48 with mazdutide, while the placebo group changed by +0.3%.

Full timeline →

Sources (36)

  1. 01Drug Administration Law of the PRC (中华人民共和国药品管理法)National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) · 2019-08-26 · accessed 2026-09-29
  2. 02Regulations for the Implementation of the Drug Administration Law (State Council Order No. 828; 中华人民共和国药品管理法实施条例)National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) · 2026-01-16 · accessed 2026-09-29
  3. 03Provisions for Drug Registration (SAMR Order No. 27; 药品注册管理办法)State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) · 2020-01-22 · accessed 2026-09-29
  4. 04Advertising Law of the PRC, 2021 amendment (中华人民共和国广告法)National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) · 2021-04-29 · accessed 2026-09-29
  5. 05Measures for the Supervision of Online Drug Sales (SAMR Order No. 58; 药品网络销售监督管理办法)State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) · 2022-08 · accessed 2026-09-29
  6. 06Notice issuing the 2025 National Reimbursement Drug List and Commercial Health Insurance Innovative Drug List (医保发〔2025〕33号)National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) · 2025-12-07 · accessed 2026-09-29
  7. 07National Basic Medical Insurance, Maternity Insurance and Work-Related Injury Insurance Drug List (2025 edition), effective 2026-01-01National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) · 2025-12 · accessed 2026-09-29
  8. 08Interpretation of the public notice on drugs passing the preliminary formal review for the 2026 NRDL and commercial insurance list adjustmentNational Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) · 2026-06-29 · accessed 2026-09-29
  9. 09NMPA innovative drug approvals list (创新药品名录)National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) · 2026-09 · accessed 2026-09-29
  10. 10NMPA publishes 4 typical cases of illegal drug distribution under the Qingyuan action (国家药监局公布4起药品经营环节“清源”行动违法违规典型案例)National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) · 2026-06-16 · accessed 2026-09-29
  11. 11NMPA approves visepegenatide injection for marketing (国家药监局批准维培那肽注射液上市)National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) · 2025-11-20 · accessed 2026-09-29
  12. 12NMPA approves mazdutide injection for marketing (国家药监局批准玛仕度肽注射液上市)National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) · 2025-06-27 · accessed 2026-09-29
  13. 13NMPA approves ecnoglutide injection for marketing (国家药监局批准埃诺格鲁肽注射液上市)National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) · 2026-01-30 · accessed 2026-09-29
  14. 14Sciwind Biosciences announces ecnoglutide injection approved by China's NMPA for chronic weight managementSciwind Biosciences · 2026-03-06 · accessed 2026-09-29
  15. 15CDE public register of accepted drug applications (受理品种目录浏览)Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE), NMPA · 2026-09-29 · accessed 2026-09-29
  16. 16Prices of imported GLP-1 weight-loss drugs halve as patent protection in China to expireYicai Global · 2025-12-29 · accessed 2026-09-29
  17. 17Zhifei Biological: semaglutide injection production-registration application accepted (智飞生物关于司美格鲁肽注射液申请生产注册获得受理的公告)Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products (Shenzhen Stock Exchange filing) · 2026-09-08 · accessed 2026-09-29
  18. 18The Prohibited List (2026)World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) · 2026 · accessed 2026-09-29
  19. 19China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) official websiteChina Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) · 2026 · accessed 2026-09-29
  20. 20A research study to see how well CagriSema helps people in China with excess body weight lose weight (NCT05996848)U.S. National Library of Medicine (ClinicalTrials.gov) · 2023-08 · accessed 2026-09-29
  21. 21A study of eloralintide (LY3841136) in participants with obesity or overweight without type 2 diabetes (NCT07321886)U.S. National Library of Medicine (ClinicalTrials.gov) · 2026-02 · accessed 2026-09-29
  22. 22Chengdu Shengnuo Biotechnology: exenatide injection obtains drug registration certificate (圣诺生物关于自愿披露艾塞那肽注射液获得药品注册证书的公告)Chengdu Shengnuo Biotechnology (圣诺生物; Shanghai Stock Exchange STAR Market filing) · 2025-07-01 · accessed 2026-09-29
  23. 23Tonghua Dongbao: liraglutide injection obtains drug registration certificate (通化东宝关于利拉鲁肽注射液获得药品注册证书的公告)Tonghua Dongbao Pharmaceutical (Shanghai Stock Exchange filing) · 2023-12-05 · accessed 2026-09-29
  24. 24Zhifei Biological: liraglutide injection obtains drug registration certificate (智飞生物关于利拉鲁肽注射液获得药品注册证书的公告)Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products (Shenzhen Stock Exchange filing) · 2026-07-10 · accessed 2026-09-29
  25. 25Evaluating the impact of maridebart cafraglutide on cardiovascular outcomes in participants with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and obesity (NCT07037433)U.S. National Library of Medicine (ClinicalTrials.gov) · 2025-07 · accessed 2026-09-29
  26. 26Innovent announces mazdutide, first dual GCG/GLP-1 receptor agonist, received approval from China's NMPA for chronic weight managementPR Newswire (Innovent Biologics) · 2025-06-27 · accessed 2026-09-29
  27. 27Mazdutide 9mg supplementary application accepted for review by China's NMPAPR Newswire (Innovent Biologics) · 2025-11-25 · accessed 2026-09-29
  28. 28Innovent announces 2026 interim results and business updatesPR Newswire (Innovent Biologics) · 2026-08-25 · accessed 2026-09-29
  29. 29A master protocol for orforglipron in participants with obesity or overweight with and without type 2 diabetes (NCT06993792)U.S. National Library of Medicine (ClinicalTrials.gov) · 2025-05 · accessed 2026-09-29
  30. 30Lilly reports second-quarter 2026 financial resultsPR Newswire (Eli Lilly and Company) · 2026-08-05 · accessed 2026-09-29
  31. 31A study of LY3437943 (retatrutide) in Chinese participants with obesity or overweight (NCT05548231)U.S. National Library of Medicine (ClinicalTrials.gov) · 2022-10 · accessed 2026-09-29
  32. 32Lilly calls on online platforms, payment companies and regulators to shut down the illegal retatrutide black marketPR Newswire (Eli Lilly and Company) · 2026-08-12 · accessed 2026-09-29
  33. 33Hanyu Pharmaceutical: phase III data for semaglutide injection (翰宇药业关于司美格鲁肽注射液取得III期临床试验数据的公告)Shenzhen Hybio Pharmaceutical (Shenzhen Stock Exchange filing) · 2026-05-07 · accessed 2026-09-29
  34. 34Hanyu Pharmaceutical: semaglutide injection (weight management) marketing application accepted (翰宇药业关于司美格鲁肽注射液（减重）上市申请获得受理的公告)Shenzhen Hybio Pharmaceutical (Shenzhen Stock Exchange filing) · 2026-07-04 · accessed 2026-09-29
  35. 35A study in Chinese people with overweight or obesity to test how different doses of survodutide are taken up in the body (NCT06492135)U.S. National Library of Medicine (ClinicalTrials.gov) · 2024-08 · accessed 2026-09-29
  36. 36Hanyu Pharmaceutical: tirzepatide injection first-generic marketing application accepted (翰宇药业关于替尔泊肽注射液首仿上市申请获得受理的公告)Shenzhen Hybio Pharmaceutical (Shenzhen Stock Exchange filing) · 2026-08-08 · accessed 2026-09-29