Sino Biopharmaceutical (01177.HK) announced that their developed pharmaceutical, Liraglutide Injection (trade name: Baylolin), has obtained the approval for marketing by the China National Medical Products Administration for controlling blood sugar in adult patients with type 2 diabetes.

Liraglutide is a long-acting analog of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), with 97% homology to natural GLP-1. GLP-1 is an endogenous incretin hormone that enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion by pancreatic beta cells. In addition to pancreatic cells, GLP-1 receptors are also widely present in organ tissues such as the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, brain, kidneys, and cardiovascular systems.