Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals

Stories

Oral small-molecule GLP-1 safiglipron cuts HbA1c in phase 3 diabetes trial

Advanced safiglipron through two pivotal phase 3 trials (OUTSTAND-1 and OUTSTAND-2), now awaiting regulatory filing in China

Injectable GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic need needles, and Rybelsus, the first oral version, must be taken on an empty stomach. Lilly's orforglipron, an oral small molecule approved in 2026, avoids that rule. Hengrui's safiglipron is a once-daily pill that also works with food.

Updated Oct 18

The race to build the next generation of weight-loss drugs

New Capabilities

As of May 2026: Kailera's licensor; advancing ribupatide in China independently

Kailera Therapeutics just pulled off the largest biotech initial public offering in history, raising $625 million and watching its shares surge 62.5% on the first day of trading. The company, founded less than two years ago with drugs licensed from a Chinese pharmaceutical firm, is now valued at roughly $3.5 billion — without a single approved product. That a startup built entirely around next-generation obesity drugs can command this kind of investor enthusiasm tells you where the pharmaceutical industry's center of gravity has shifted.

Updated May 31