Sciwind Biosciences gains Chinese approval for Ecnoglutide weight loss injection

CHINA—Sciwind Biosciences has secured approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for Ecnoglutide injection, marking a significant development in China’s weight-management pharmaceutical landscape.

The drug targets chronic weight management in Chinese adults who are either obese or overweight.

Ecnoglutide operates as a cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-biased glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist.

The medication works by selectively activating the cAMP signaling pathway while reducing β-arrestin recruitment.

This distinctive mechanism delivers sustained weight loss while improving metabolic function and lowering chronic disease risks.

Clinical trial results drive approval

The NMPA based its approval decision on Phase III clinical trial data published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology in June 2025.

The trial tracked participants over 48 weeks and revealed dose-dependent outcomes across different treatment groups.

Patients who received the highest dose of 2.4mg achieved a mean weight reduction of 15.4%, representing a placebo-adjusted loss of 15.1%.

The results showed that 92.8% of participants lost at least 5% of their body weight, while many exceeded the 10% or 15% thresholds.

Weight loss continued steadily throughout the entire 48-week period without reaching a plateau.

Broad cardiometabolic benefits observed

Beyond weight reduction, Ecnoglutide demonstrated improvements across multiple cardiometabolic risk factors.

Participants experienced positive changes in blood pressure, fasting glucose, insulin levels, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c).

The treatment also improved the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), lipid profiles, and waist circumference measurements.

The drug produced a substantial decrease in uric acid levels, dropping to as low as 54.3 µmol/L, thereby reducing the incidence of hyperuricemia among participants.

Patients with baseline liver fat content of 8% or higher saw particularly encouraging results.

Those receiving the 2.4 mg dose experienced a mean reduction in liver fat of 53.1% by week 40. Liver enzyme concentrations also decreased more significantly compared to the placebo group.

Liver health and metabolic improvements

Among participants with elevated baseline liver fat content, Ecnoglutide delivered meaningful reductions in hepatic fat.

The treatment’s impact extended beyond fat reduction, as liver enzyme concentrations improved more substantially than the placebo group.

These benefits position the drug as a comprehensive metabolic intervention addressing multiple aspects of metabolic syndrome.

Strategic market positioning

Dr. Hai Pan, founder and CEO of Sciwind Biosciences, described the approval as an important milestone for the company’s metabolic disease portfolio.

 He characterized it as a breakthrough for China’s pharmaceutical sector within the competitive global GLP-1 market.

As the world’s first approved cAMP-biased GLP-1 receptor agonist, Ecnoglutide holds strategic positioning for two key indications: weight management and type 2 diabetes treatment.

This dual approach strengthens the drug’s market potential as obesity and diabetes continue to pose major public health challenges globally.