AstraZeneca signs obesity drugs deal with Chinese firm

LONDON, Jan 30, (AFP): British drugs group AstraZeneca announced Friday a deal with the Chinese group CSPC Pharmaceutical to help develop and market CSPC's weight-loss injections.

The agreement hands AstraZeneca exclusive global rights outside China for the drugs, according to a joint statement. CSPC said it stood to earn billions of dollars dependent on sales.

Expensive appetite-suppressing drugs -- which include the brands Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro -- have exploded in popularity as people seek to lose weight.

Friday's deal came after AstraZeneca said Thursday that it would invest $15 billion in China through 2030 to expand the British company's medicines manufacturing and research.

Both deals were announced during a visit to China by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

AstraZeneca said the CSPC deal "strengthens its weight management portfolio through a new strategic collaboration... to advance the development of multiple next-generation therapies for obesity and type 2 diabetes across eight programmes".