Meow or never: China's pudgy pets spark race for weight-loss drugs

Irina Zhou’s five-year-old cat has gained about a kilogram every year for the past three years. She knows the extra weight puts her pet at risk of obesity-related diseases and could even shorten his life.

“My parents just can’t bear to see the cat go hungry,” the 29-year-old Zhou said. “If the weight starts to affect his health, I might consider trying weight-loss medicines for him.”

Days later, a unit of Huadong Medicine received acceptance notices from Chinese regulators for veterinary drug registration applications targeting weight management in adult obese cats, signalling the treatment could soon enter the domestic market.

GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs are designed to mimic the hormone, which normally disappears from the bloodstream within minutes.

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