SHANGHAI, June 25 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk

said on Tuesday its popular weight-loss drug Wegovy has been

approved in China, paving the way for sales in the world's

second-largest economy.

Novo said in March that it would initially target Chinese

patients willing to pay out-of-pocket for the weekly injectable

drug.

The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request

for comment on when sales will begin, how the drug will be

priced and how much it intends to ship to China.

Novo may have a much shorter time in the Chinese market to

make the most of its early-mover advantage in weight-loss drugs.

Its patent on semaglutide, the key ingredient used in Wegovy

and its diabetes drug Ozempic, is set to expire in less than two

years in China and local drugmakers are racing to develop

generic versions.

In contrast, the patent will expire in 2031 in Europe and

Japan and in 2032 in the United States.

Novo also faces competition from rival Eli Lilly ( LLY )

, whose diabetes drug tirzepatide received approval from

China in May. Some analysts expect Zepound, the U.S. firm's

weight-loss drug with the same active ingredient, will be

approved in China this year or in the first half of 2025.

The number of adults who are overweight in China is

projected to reach 540 million by 2030, a rise of 2.8 times from

2000 levels, while those who are obese are expected to jump 7.5

times to 150 million, according to a 2020 study by Chinese

public health researchers.

Ozempic won approval from China in 2021 and Novo saw sales

of the drug in the greater China region double to 4.8 billion

Danish crowns ($698 million) last year.