Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced Wednesday that it has entered into an exclusive global licensing agreement with its R&D affiliate, Daewoong Therapeutics, to commercialize innovative microneedle-based therapies targeting the burgeoning obesity treatment market.
Under the terms of the agreement, Daewoong Pharmaceutical has secured exclusive worldwide rights to commercialize a patented microneedle patch platform developed by Daewoong Therapeutics. In exchange, Daewoong Pharmaceutical will spearhead the global marketing, regulatory strategy, and large-scale manufacturing of products leveraging this advanced technology.
Microneedle drug delivery has historically faced challenges related to dose limitations and manufacturing complexity. Daewoong Therapeutics states that they have overcome these obstacles through a proprietary process enabling high drug loads to be embedded within approximately 100 microneedles on a coin-sized patch. The platform is designed to deliver therapies, traditionally administered via injection, through a convenient and simple skin application.
The partnership focuses primarily on metabolic diseases, with a particular emphasis on obesity. Daewoong Pharmaceutical is actively developing a microneedle patch formulation that incorporates GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide, a globally recognized and widely used weight-loss drug.
The semaglutide patch is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials. The company intends to broaden its application to include maintenance therapy for sustained long-term weight management, ultimately creating a comprehensive pipeline addressing the entire spectrum of obesity treatment.
“Strategic open innovation — sharing commercialization risk with specialized technology partners in exchange for exclusive rights — is a core competitive strength for Daewoong,” stated Park Seong-soo, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical. “Through this agreement, we aim to capitalize on opportunities within the rapidly expanding global obesity market using our advanced microneedle patch platform.”
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