The head of China's top trade promotion body met with the chairman of Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk in Beijing on Wednesday, as the company voiced strong confidence in the Chinese market, and highlighted its role in tackling chronic diseases in the world's most populous country.
At the meeting with Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Novo Nordisk's chairman Helge Lund expressed optimism about China, already one of its fastest-growing markets.
The Danish pharmaceutical is a key player in diabetes care in China, and in 2024 the company launched its blockbuster weight-loss drug, Wegovy.
"We believe that around 150 million people [in China] have diabetes, and around 180 million people in China, adult people, have obesity. And of course, for a company like Novo, that comes with opportunities, but also with big responsibilities," said Lund.
Now entering its third decade in the Chinese market, the company is aligning with Healthy China 2030 -- a government-led initiative with ambitious targets for preventing and managing chronic diseases.
"We really applaud the strong objectives, the clear targets, the good plans, and the actions that the Chinese government is taking to deal with the chronic diseases, such as Health Initiative 2030 that the government is leading. And we would like to be a forward-looking, innovative, and long-trusted partner for the Chinese government in dealing with these and other challenges in the healthcare space," said Lund.
China is one of Novo Nordisk's fastest-growing markets. In the first half of 2025, the company reported revenues of around 23 billion U.S. dollars worldwide, with China contributing nearly one billion U.S. dollars, up six percent.
Danish drugmaker eyes growth in China, ties role to "Healthy China 2030"
