Obesity drugs developed in KOR are now entering the mkt

Late-stage clinical developers differentiate their candidates with formulation·mechanism

Hanmi, HK inno.N, and JW Pharmaceutical are nearing commercialization…early-stage clinical developers are leveraging differentiating factor

Patch types, once-monthly formulation, oral therapy, dual agonist…challenging the market with their various strategies

South Korea's anti-obesity drug market is becoming competitive. While Hanmi Pharma is set to launch the country's first domestic anti-obesity drug, HK inno.N and JW Pharmaceutical are accelerating commercialization through ongoing Phase 3 clinical trials. Meanwhile, companies such as Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Dongkook Pharmaceutical, Dong-A ST, Ildong Pharmaceutical, and Chong Kun Dang (currently in Phase 1/2 or preclinical development) are aiming to dominate future market share, demonstrating differentiated formulations and mechanisms of action distinct from existing GLP-1 therapies.

​According to industry sources, Hanmi Pharm's GLP-1 class anti-obesity drug 'efpeglenatide' submitted a marketing authorization application to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) last December and is currently under review. With a market launch expected in the second half of the year, it is likely to become South Korea's first domestic anti-obesity treatment.  

​While efpeglenatide demonstrated a body weight reduction rate of approximately 9.75%, Hanmi applied its long-acting platform technology, 'LAPSCOVERY,' to mitigate gastrointestinal side effects and completed a global cardiovascular outcomes trial (CVOT) involving approximately 4,000 patients. The company's strategy is to establish a solid prescription base by leveraging price competitiveness and first-market-entry advantages.  

(AI-generated image) The current status of obesity drug development in South Korea: Hanmi Pharm's GLP-1 class anti-obesity drug 'efpeglenatide'; ​HK inno.N is conducting a domestic Phase 3 clinical trial for 'ecnoglutide'; ​JW Pharmaceutical recently licensed 'bofanglutide'; ​Daewoong Pharmaceutical is developing 'DWRX5003'; Dongkook Pharmaceutical is developing 'DKF-MB501'; ​Ildong Pharmaceutical is developing 'ID110521156'; ​Chong Kun Dang is advancing 'CKD-514'

Follow-on developers HK inno.N and JW Pharmaceutical are also raising commercial expectations in late-stage clinical development.  

​HK inno.N is conducting a domestic Phase 3 clinical trial for 'ecnoglutide,' a GLP-1 class anti-obesity candidate licensed from Sciwind Biosciences in China. In global clinical studies, ecnoglutide demonstrated a body weight reduction rate of up to 15.1% and has already secured marketing approval in China. Having completed patient recruitment for its domestic Phase 3 trial in South Korea, the company has initiated full-scale commercialization preparation.  

​JW Pharmaceutical recently licensed 'bofanglutide,' a GLP-1 receptor agonist, from Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals in China. This candidate is administered once every two weeks, differentiating it from conventional once-weekly formulations. In a Chinese Phase 2b trial, bofanglutide demonstrated strong competitiveness by achieving an average body weight reduction of 17.29% over 30 weeks of administration.  

Early-stage developers are prioritizing platform and formulation innovation over weight loss efficacy competition.  

​Differentiation via patch and long-acting formulations

​Daewoong Pharmaceutical is developing 'DWRX5003,' a microneedle patch-based anti-obesity candidate. Currently in Phase 1 clinical trials, it is a once-weekly transdermal patch that delivers the drug as microscopic needles dissolve upon application to the skin.  

​The key differentiator is its ability to reduce administration burden and enhance patient treatment compliance by eliminating direct needle injections. Daewoong's strategy is to introduce a novel administration route into a market currently dominated by injectable formulations.  

​Dongkook Pharmaceutical is developing 'DKF-MB501,' a long-acting anti-obesity drug candidate incorporating its proprietary drug delivery platform 'DK-LADS.'  

​The goal is to engineer conventional once-weekly GLP-1 class therapeutics into a long-acting once-monthly formulation. This strategy aims to capture the next-generation long-acting market while improving administration convenience for obesity patients requiring long-term care.  

Competition to dominate the oral therapy market

​Beyond injectables, competition to develop oral anti-obesity therapeutics is intensifying.  

​Ildong Pharmaceutical is developing 'ID110521156,' an oral GLP-1 class candidate targeting obesity and diabetes concurrently. The development focuses on maximizing manufacturing efficiency and oral dosing convenience relative to traditional peptide injectables. Identifying oral therapeutics as an emerging market driver, Ildong is nurturing this asset as a next-generation growth engine.  

​Chong Kun Dang is advancing 'CKD-514,' an oral GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) candidate. According to preclinical data presented at ObesityWeek (US Obesity Society) last year, CKD-514 demonstrated high oral bioavailability in large animal models. It confirmed statistically significant body weight reduction at lower doses compared to Eli Lilly's global oral competitor, orforglipron.  

​Industry observers anticipate the anti-obesity drug market will rapidly expand beyond injectables into oral modalities, drawing keen attention to the mid-to-long-term competitiveness of companies securing oral delivery platforms.  

​In addition, Dong-A ST is developing the novel anti-obesity candidate 'DA-1726' through its US Nasdaq-listed subsidiary, MetaVia.  

​DA-1726 is an oxyntomodulin analog dual agonist that co-activates both GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. By concurrently suppressing appetite and increasing energy expenditure, it aims to differentiate itself from conventional mono-mechanism GLP-1 therapies.  

​MetaVia is currently conducting high-dose administration cohorts at 48mg and 64mg in Part 3 of its Phase 1 trial. Top-line 16-week results are anticipated for announcement in the fourth quarter of this year. Primary evaluation metrics include body weight reduction rates, waist circumference, cardiovascular and metabolic parameters, and high-dose safety. Previously, the 48mg dosing cohort demonstrated a mean body weight reduction of 9.1% at 8 weeks.  

While late-stage clinical developers are preparing for commercialization leveraging efficacy and administration convenience, early-stage developers are establishing competitive edges through technological differentiation, including transdermal patches, long-acting monthly formulations, oral therapeutics, and dual agonists.  

​Furthermore, the anti-obesity drug market is rapidly expanding beyond mere weight loss into managing diverse metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Consequently, R&D competition among domestic pharmaceutical companies is projected to intensify further.

​An industry insider stated, "The anti-obesity drug market is expanding beyond simple body weight reduction rate competitions toward administration convenience, long-acting durability, and next-generation platforms," and added, "Latecomer drugmakers are similarly driving up market valuation through differentiation strategies such as transdermal patches, once-monthly formulations, oral delivery, and dual agonists."  

​The industry insider added, "Leading global therapies such as Wegovy and Mounjaro are expanding the market by broadening indications beyond obesity into cardiovascular and renal diseases," and concluded, "Market interest will increasingly focus not only on dosing convenience and long-term safety, but also on whether companies can expand therapeutic indications to broaden prescription areas."