The weight loss drug boom is here, and even retailers like Walmart are starting to feel the pressure to compete.

The first prescription for the drug in China will reportedly be issued at a public hospital in Shanghai this week and will cost about $193 for a one-month supply of the lowest dose.

Scholars discuss the regulatory landscape surrounding GLP-1 drugs and dietary supplements.

Novo Nordisk has launched its weight-loss drug Wegovy in China after it was approved by local health authorities in June. It is set to intensify competition with rival Eli Lilly, whose popular weight-loss treatment also got the green light months ago but has yet to go on sale in the world's second largest pharmaceutical market.

Novo Nordisk said on Monday it has launched its popular obesity drug Wegovy in China, the world's second-largest pharmaceuticals market where it estimates more than 180 million people live with obesity.

Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy is now available for use in China, the company confirmed to AFP on Tuesday, as the Asian nation battles high rates of obesity.

Novo Nordisk has officially launched its weight-loss drug Wegovy in China after receiving approval in June. The move pits it against rival Eli Lilly, whose treatment, Zepbound, is yet to hit shelves in the world's second-largest pharmaceutical market.