WSI: IntroBioPharma Establishes Formulation for GLP-1 Obesity Treatment

On October 14, IntroBioPharma, a subsidiary of WSI, announced that it has established a tablet formulation for its oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog obesity treatment. The formulation is a film-coated tablet, which is part of the non-clinical trial process.

Recently, in the obesity and diabetes treatment market, efforts are being made to develop oral formulations in addition to the existing injectable forms, in order to improve dosing convenience and expand the potential market. However, converting an injectable formulation into a tablet form presents challenges, such as reduced efficacy due to low absorption rates and increased tablet size.

IntroBioPharma reported that it has applied its proprietary EmulPass technology to minimize tablet size and has secured a manufacturing technology that enables production using standard equipment without the need for specialized machinery. As a result, the company expects not only improved patient convenience but also enhanced manufacturing cost-effectiveness, which is likely to attract significant interest from global pharmaceutical companies during future clinical trials.

EmulPass is a platform technology that employs a dual-action mechanism to increase drug absorption and improve intraluminal stability. This enables the development of oral tablet versions of peptide injectables such as semaglutide (brand name Wegovy).

An IntroBioPharma representative stated, "Products developed as tablets by the original manufacturer use specific excipients (absorption enhancers), and this technology is protected by patents until after 2030, making it difficult to develop generics. However, by using IntroBioPharma's EmulPass technology, we can circumvent this, making it possible to launch generics earlier after the substance patent for semaglutide expires in 2028."

The representative added, "Since EmulPass is a platform technology, it can be applied to other peptide drugs in the future, offering unlimited scalability. Additionally, by not using expensive specialized excipients, we maintain a significant competitive advantage in terms of production costs."

Meanwhile, IntroBioPharma is currently conducting non-clinical trials for its GLP-1 obesity treatment. The company plans to file patents and secure the necessary technological foundation as soon as animal testing is complete, after which it will proceed to clinical trials.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.