{
  "id": 16183926,
  "title": "Weight-loss drug boom in China, India, Brazil could create US$22bil market by 2035",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/weight-loss-drug-boom-in-china-india-brazil-could-create-us-22bil-16183926",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-23T11:12:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/10/23/weight-loss-drug-boom-in-china-india-brazil-could-create-us-22bil-market-by-2035"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The weight-loss drug market in China, India, and Brazil is poised to expand significantly, potentially reaching US$22 billion by 2035, according to J.P. Morgan analysts. These three countries currently account for a small portion of the global market for GLP-1 drugs, which are used to treat weight-loss and diabetes. However, the analysts predict that the addressable market for these drugs in the region will grow at a compound annual rate of 15% through 2035, driven by improving affordability and broader access in largely untapped patient populations.\n\nChina and India are particularly well-positioned to benefit from this growth trend. With some of the world's largest diabetes patient populations - China accounting for over 25% of global diagnosed cases and India for 15% - these countries also face a growing obesity burden. By 2030, China's overweight and obese population is projected to exceed 65%, while India's adult obesity rate is expected to reach 11% by 2035.\n\nDespite the promising growth potential, the uptake of GLP-1 drugs in these emerging markets remains relatively low. In China, penetration is below 0.1%, while in India it is under 0.2%, compared to 4%-5% in the United States. Brazil is currently the largest of the three markets, but its obesity-drug penetration is projected to reach only 7%-8% of its obese population by 2035, compared to about 30% in the US.\n\nThe analysts attribute the low penetration in China and India to affordability concerns and hesitancy around injectables. Prescription rates for GLP-1 drugs in India are hesitant due to conservatism and slow cultural shifts. However, the analysts note that patent cliffs, generic launches, and policy-engineered price cuts are improving the affordability of these therapies, converging the three markets on the same destination.",
  "summary": "High costs have limited the uptake of weight-loss drugs in emerging markets, with penetration rates below 0.1% in China and 0.2% in India, but this is expected to change.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}