Korean Pharma Giants Samsung Bioepis, Daewoong, Dongkook, and Yuhan Accelerate Development of Next-Generation Long-Acting Obesity Treatments via Advanced Drug Delivery Platforms
Following the meteoric rise of Eli Lilly’s diabetes and obesity treatment, Mounjaro, which surpassed MSD’s cancer therapy Keytruda as the world’s leading drug in Q1, Korean pharmaceutical companies are intensely focused on pioneering monthly obesity injections. This shift aims to significantly reduce injection frequency, enhancing patient convenience and adherence.
Currently, blockbuster treatments such as Mounjaro and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, both highly effective in managing diabetes and obesity, necessitate weekly injections.
In a strategic move in March, Samsung Epis Holdings’ subsidiaries, biopharmaceutical innovator Samsung Bioepis and biotechnology platform specialist Epis NexLab, formed a powerful alliance with local biotech firm G2GBio. Their joint mission is to develop cutting-edge long-acting obesity treatments, harnessing G2GBio’s advanced microsphere-based drug delivery technology.
G2GBio stands out with its proprietary long-acting injection technology, designed to extend drug efficacy for several months. Their key pipeline includes promising semaglutide-based drug candidates. Semaglutide, a well-known glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, effectively mimics a natural hormone to regulate blood sugar, curb appetite, and slow gastric emptying – a mechanism foundational to drugs like Wegovy.
Last week, Daewoong Pharmaceutical unveiled a strategic partnership with emerging local bio startup TionLab Therapeutics, aiming to co-develop a pioneering long-acting, monthly semaglutide-based injectable. This collaboration strategically integrates TionLab’s innovative Quject Sphere platform with Daewoong’s established CURE platform.
Together, these synergistic platforms promise precise drug delivery: Quject Sphere will meticulously manage the initial release speed, while CURE ensures a sustained, stable release rate throughout the extended treatment period. This innovative approach seeks to dramatically reduce annual injections from 52 to just 12, greatly improving patient compliance and quality of life.
Daewoong, spearheading the clinical development of this promising long-acting weight-loss treatment, filed an investigational new drug (IND) application with Korean regulatory authorities last month. The company anticipates commencing trials before the year concludes, marking a significant step forward.
Dongkook Pharmaceutical initiated its ambitious development program in 2024, focusing on three distinct semaglutide-based injections designed for monthly, bi-monthly, and tri-monthly administration. Non-clinical studies have successfully validated its proprietary microsphere technology, demonstrating its capability to effectively suppress initial drug bursts while ensuring stable, continuous release within the optimal therapeutic concentration range for up to two months. The company is poised to advance its long-acting obesity drug into Phase 1 clinical studies next year.
In 2024, Yuhan strategically partnered with Inventage Lab, leveraging their advanced long-acting drug delivery platform technology. This collaboration aims to develop monthly injections targeting both semaglutide and tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro. Yuhan plans to submit investigational new drug (IND) applications for both formulations within the current year, underscoring its dual-pronged approach to the obesity market.
An industry expert from a local drugmaker commented, “Considering the robust growth projections for the weight-loss drug market, global pharmaceutical leaders who are lagging in the obesity drug pipeline are intensifying their efforts to catch up. Korean companies, recognizing this global trend, are actively exploring conducting clinical trials not only domestically but also internationally to accelerate market entry.”
A recent report from Morgan Stanley Research, published earlier this month, dramatically revised its forecast for the global obesity drug market. It now projects a staggering peak valuation of $150 billion by 2035, a substantial increase from its previous estimate of $105 billion made just two years prior. The report also indicated that the global weight-loss drug market generated approximately $15 billion in sales last year, signaling immense growth potential.
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