Wuxi AppTec First-Half Profit Surges 33.7% on Weight-Loss Drug Demand

Wuxi AppTec, Asia's largest contract pharmaceutical research provider, reported a 33.7% increase in interim net profit attributable to owners, reaching 11.08 billion yuan (US$1.64 billion) in the first half of 2026. This performance surpassed the Bloomberg consensus estimate of a 14.5% rise, based on 25 analysts. The growth was driven by strong demand for weight-loss and diabetes treatments, as well as gains in its US business. Chairman and CEO Li Ge stated that the company delivered strong growth across revenue, profit, and cash flow, driven by commercial momentum across various client drug programs. The company's Hong Kong-traded shares rose 1.37% to HK$162.90 on Monday, with a year-to-date increase of about 62%. The Hang Seng Index rose 0.48% that day. US sales climbed to 22.28 billion yuan in the first half, compared with 14.24 billion yuan a year earlier, accounting for about 77% of total revenue. This performance comes amid US scrutiny of Chinese biotech firms, as part of broader efforts to curb China's ambitions in the sector.