Latest news with #mainland
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Mainland Chinese market for weight loss and diabetes drugs to soon be more crowded: report
Competition in the mainland Chinese market for diabetes and weight loss drugs is set to intensify as more than 60 late-stage drug candidates are undergoing clinical trials, according to a recent report. Up to 20 biosimilar or generic copies will vie for market share and add pricing pressure after Denmark-based Novo Nordisk's semaglutide product loses patent protection in China next year, according to Boston-based global consultancy L.E.K. Consulting. Novo Nordisk's patent will expire in 2031 in Japan and Europe and 2032 in the US, according to its latest annual report. 'The landscape in China is expected to become even more competitive than in developed markets, where the GLP-1 category is primarily dominated by leading multinational pharmaceutical companies,' said Helen Chen, L.E.K.'s global healthcare and life sciences co-head, in a report on May 15. GLP-1 drugs mimic natural hormones, which signal the pancreas to release more insulin when blood-sugar levels are high, and also support weight loss by slowing digestion and reducing appetite. 04:12 One reporter's weight-loss journey and what a 'healthy body' means to him One reporter's weight-loss journey and what a 'healthy body' means to him Driven by sales growth of semaglutide, Novo Nordisk became the 10th largest drug company in the world in terms of revenue. London-based consultancy Evaluate said the firm's revenue rose 25 per cent to US$42.1 billion last year.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Chinese man blames failed blind date on saggy T-shirt, claims looks like sleepwear
A Chinese man has reported a T-shirt manufacturer to the authorities after a failed blind date, claiming that the shirt was so saggy it looked like sleepwear, which he blamed for being rejected. Advertisement The incident went viral on mainland social media, amusing many netizens and prompting the authorities to launch an investigation into the product's quality. In mid-May, a man surnamed Wang, who works as a programmer, said that he had recently gone on a blind date wearing a T-shirt he had bought online for 59 yuan (US$8). He claimed that the poor quality of the shirt, a thin and flimsy item which resembled sleepwear, left a bad impression on the woman and ultimately led to the failure of the date. The man says the T-shirt, above, made it appear like he was either wearing pyjamas or that he was unemployed. Photo: Douyin 'I bought their so-called 'heavyweight T-shirt' for 59 yuan, but it turned out to be thin and see-through. I wore it on a blind date, and the woman thought I had shown up in pyjamas,' Wang said.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The world of 28 Years Later: Star Aaron Taylor-Johnson reveals 'disconnected' community battling to survive in long-awaited sequel after humanity was pulled apart by Rage virus outbreak
The much-anticipated release of 28 Years Later is just weeks away, with fans left waiting two decades to discover the next instalment in Danny Boyle 's film series. And with the nation devastated by the Rage virus nearly three decades ago, this new film - released June 19 - will show insight into the vastly different ways humanity has adapted to survive. For one such community, this means complete isolation from the outside world, and in a new clip ahead of the film's premiere, star Aaron Taylor-Johnson shares insight into this new addition to the 28 Days Later universe for the first time. In this new land, known as The Holy Island, humans are entirely self-sufficient, and only leave the community to hunt on the mainland, when the tide is low. Aaron plays Jamie a scavenger who is tasked with training his Spike to survive in the wilderness, before they embark on a deadly mission to the mainland. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newslette r to stay in the loop. In an exclusive featurette, Aaron offers a glimpse at this new Holy Island, explaining: 'My character is part of this community that survived 20-odd years because they live on the Holy Island, disconnected from the mainland. 'They don't have doctors or medicine, can only eat what they can grow, they can go hunt, but they have to go hunt on the mainland.' 'And we have rules, if you leave the island and you don't return, there's no one going out to look for you, they're going to assume you've been infected and you're dead.' Aaron then explains that for his character's son, it's a 'rite of passage' to learn his father's hunting skills, in the hope that they can survive when they leave the island. The film is set on the real-life island of Lindisfarne, which is only accessible through a causeway during low tide. Jodie Comer also stars in the film as Jamie's wife Isla, while Ralph Fiennes plays Dr. Kelson, a survivor of the outbreak. The original film 28 Days Later starred Cillian as a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma to discover the accidental release of a highly contagious, aggression-inducing virus has caused the breakdown of society. But despite frenzied speculation that he would be reprising his role in this sequel, when the trailer came out in December, with one character appearing to resemble a zombified form of Cillian's character Jim from the first film. In a new clip ahead of the film's premiere, Aaron shares insight into this new addition to the 28 Days Later universe for the first time However, this theory was quickly shut down when a London art dealer and model revealed he was the one playing the zombie character. Danny has since teased that viewers may get to see Cillian, 48, return after all, in one of the later films in the trilogy. Speaking during Sony's presentation at 2025 CinemaCon, the filmmaker hinted: 'Like all good things in life, you may have to wait a little while for [Cillian] to make his appearance'. 28 Years Later was filmed back-to-back with the second film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, by director Nia DaCosta, which is being released in January 2026. Producer Andrew Macdonald previously confirmed that Cillian would not be appearing in 28 Years Later, but also suggested he could return for a future film. He told Empire: '[On] this, we wanted him to be involved and he wanted to be involved. He is not in the first film, but I'm hoping there will be some Jim somewhere along the line.' He added: 'He's involved at the moment as an executive producer, and I would hope we can work with him in some way in the future in the trilogy.' With a budget of $75million, 28 Years Later is the biggest film to be created with an iPhone and follows in the footsteps of a new Apple TV show. 28 Years Later hits UK cinemas on June 19, 2025.
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV aims to dislodge Tesla's bestselling Model Y from pole position
Tesla's bestselling Model Y faces yet another challenger on the mainland after Xiaomi unveiled the YU7 electric SUV amid much hoopla surrounding its launch over the past two months. The smartphone maker's much-anticipated vehicle, featuring a preliminary self-driving system, large multimedia screen and high-performance battery, is seen as a game changer in the premium electric vehicle (EV) segment, where Tesla's overwhelming advantage has been quickly dwindling. 'Some netizens mentioned that this car will be sold for 199,000 yuan [US$27,621], which is impossible,' Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said at a launch event in Beijing on Thursday. 'Considering its configuration, which is comparable to the Model Y, it should be worth at least 300,000 yuan.' The YU7's debut comes a year after Xiaomi unveiled its first EV – the SU7 sedan – which has been outselling the Tesla Model 3 on the mainland since December. Xiaomi said the YU7 would hit the market in July. Prices of the car, whose basic edition has a driving range of 835km, have yet to be announced. 03:30 Global carmakers cede world's largest auto show to Chinese EVs Global carmakers cede world's largest auto show to Chinese EVs
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Chinese MMA star Zhang Weili keen to wow home crowd at first mainland post-Covid UFC event
Chinese mixed martial arts superstar Zhang Weili said on Thursday she would relish fighting on home turf again after Ultimate Fighting Championship announced its first event in mainland China since the Covid-19 pandemic. Zhang, the first Chinese fighter to win a UFC title and the current strawweight champion, is the face of MMA on the mainland, where millions of dollars have been poured into the sport's top promotion. The UFC said on Thursday that back-to-back events would be taking place over one weekend, with Shanghai Fight Night taking place on August 23 and the semi-final of the Road to UFC Season 4 the day before. 'Competing on home soil feels completely different,' Zhang said, adding she was 'really looking forward' to fighting in Shanghai. 'When you step into the arena with a roaring home crowd behind you, it gives you an incredible boost of energy. So when I won the championship in Shenzhen, the atmosphere was absolutely electrifying.' UFC has not confirmed the line-up for the Shanghai event, but Zhang would be a huge omission in a country where she is a household name.
