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Hanmi Pharmaceutical's "Eppe" (ingredient: efpeglenatide) has been approved as South Korea's 45th novel drug and the first domestic GLP-1 class anti-obesity treatment, ushering in the era of homegrown obesity therapeutics. However, the domestic and international pharmaceutical and biotech industries have already turned their sights to the next GLP-1 market, driven by the assessment that overcoming the limitations of conventional GLP-1 single-agent injectables is essential to surviving in the global market.

According to industry sources on the 8th, global pharmaceutical companies as well as domestic pharma and biotech firms are focusing on developing next-generation obesity treatments. First-generation treatment Saxenda is already being replaced in the market by Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide), owing to Saxenda's daily injection requirement and modest weight-loss efficacy of 5 to 10 percent. Industry focus has shifted to next-generation pipelines designed to resolve dosing inconvenience, the rebound effect following treatment cessation, and muscle loss occurring during weight reduction.

The fastest-moving area of development is formulation diversification to enhance administration convenience. In overseas markets, oral tablet formulations have already launched and are being prescribed, including Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill and Eli Lilly's Foundiyo. These foreign oral GLP-1 drugs are expected to enter the Korean market next year following review by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Domestic firms are responding in kind: Daewon Pharmaceutical is developing DW-5324, an oral obesity treatment engineered for enhanced absorption, in the preclinical stage. Ildong Pharmaceutical plans to file an investigational new drug (IND) application for Phase 2 clinical trials for ID110521156 in the first quarter of next year.

Competition is also fierce in developing long-acting injectables that extend dosing intervals. In the global arena, Amgen is drawing attention as its once-monthly injectable MariTide advances into late-stage clinical trials. Domestically, Yuhan Corporation has partnered with Inventera Lab to develop IVL3021, a once-monthly semaglutide injection. Daewoong Pharmaceutical is researching long-acting formulations with ThionLab Therapeutics. Samsung Bioepis has initiated long-acting obesity drug development alongside G2GBIO, and Alteogen, having completed platform patent filings, is also working on a once-monthly injectable obesity therapeutic.

Dual and triple agonists are likewise in active development. Beyond simple appetite suppression, dual and triple agonists that selectively burn body fat while preserving muscle mass are emerging as game-changers in next-generation obesity management. Hanmi Pharmaceutical's HM17321, licensed out to Genentech, operates through a mechanism that prevents muscle loss during weight reduction while shedding fat. HM15275, currently in Phase 2 clinical trials in the U.S., is being developed as a triple agonist simultaneously targeting GLP-1, GIP receptors, and glucagon to elevate basal metabolic rate. Dong-A ST is conducting a global Phase 1 trial for its GLP-1 and glucagon dual agonist DA-1726 through its U.S. subsidiary, Metabia.

The treatment paradigm is also expanding. Obesity is increasingly viewed not as a simple weight-loss target, but as a condition warranting fundamental intervention across metabolic diseases as a whole. Major pharmaceutical companies are consequently broadening indications to complex metabolic disorders such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), cardiovascular diseases, and chronic kidney disease. JW Pharmaceutical's in-licensed bofanglutide is a biweekly subcutaneous formulation; alongside obesity development, the company recently filed an IND application for domestic Phase 3 clinical trials in type 2 diabetes patients to pursue indication expansion. Hanmi Pharmaceutical is concurrently strengthening its H.O.P obesity project while pushing an expansion strategy into type 2 diabetes.

This paradigm shift surrounding the future of GLP-1 is also set to take center stage at BIX 2026, South Korea's largest bio convention opening on the 28th. An industry insider noted that with growing attention on the supplemental benefits of GLP-1 drugs in reducing chronic inflammation and protecting nerve cells, basic research is actively expanding into anti-aging domains, adding that the transition to next-generation treatments will likely unfold faster than anticipated.

                                                                                                        Moon Jeong-woo