Three Korean Biotech Firms to Unveil New Drugs for Obesity and Fatty Liver at EASL 2026

Sharing the Stage with Global Giants Novo and Lilly
First Simultaneous Validation for Next-Generation Korean GLP-1 Mechanisms
D&D Pharmatech and Dong-A ST Selected for Late-Breaking Abstracts

Three domestic pharmaceutical and biotech companies—D&D Pharmatech, Dong-A ST, and Yuhan Corporation—will simultaneously release clinical data on next-generation candidates in the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) class at this year's European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL 2026) annual meeting. These companies will validate new drug data for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) related to obesity and metabolic disorders, each with a different mechanism of action. This move marks the official entry of Korean companies into the MASH drug competition, which has so far been dominated by global pharmaceutical giants such as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.

According to the industry on May 21, D&D Pharmatech and Dong-A ST have both been selected for the Late-Breaking Abstract (LBA) session at EASL 2026, which will be held from May 27 to 30 (local time) in Barcelona, Spain. The LBA session is reserved for the most academically valuable and recent data, even after the regular abstract submission deadline has passed.

D&D Pharmatech will release the results of a 48-week biopsy from its phase 2 clinical trial of DD01, a MASH therapeutic candidate. DD01 is a dual agonist that simultaneously targets the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. It completed 48 weeks of dosing in U.S. patients and previously demonstrated rapid reduction in hepatic steatosis and signs of fibrosis improvement at 12 and 24 weeks. The trial was led by Dr. Mazen Noureddin, a leading authority in MASH at Houston Methodist Hospital in the U.S. D&D Pharmatech also attracted academic attention last year by presenting its 12-week data as an LBA oral presentation at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The market is now focused on whether the signs of fibrosis improvement observed at 24 weeks will be statistically confirmed in the 48-week biopsy results. Seulgi Lee, CEO of D&D Pharmatech, recently commented at the completion of a 226.5 billion won convertible bond (CB) subscription, "Based on the phase 2 results to be released at EASL 2026, we aim to achieve meaningful partnering results in the global market."

Dong-A ST, through its U.S. subsidiary Metavia, will announce the results of the high-dose cohort from its phase 1 trial of DA-1726, an obesity and MASH therapeutic candidate, on May 27. DA-1726 is an oxyntomodulin analogue that acts on both the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, simultaneously inducing appetite suppression and an increase in basal metabolic rate. Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic data, and non-invasive liver assessment results will be released. Metavia is currently conducting part 3 of the phase 1 trial, which applies a high-dose escalation strategy over 16 weeks, with data expected in the fourth quarter of this year.

Yuhan Corporation will also present the results of a phase 1 clinical trial for its MASH candidate 'YH25724'—which was previously licensed out to Boehringer Ingelheim and later returned—via a poster presentation. YH25724 is a dual agonist targeting both GLP-1 and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 21. According to the presentation abstract, the group administered 150 mg over 12 weeks showed an average reduction of 40.5% in hepatic fat, while the placebo group experienced a 5.7% increase. Yuhan Corporation is preparing its own follow-up trials following the return of rights.

With the simultaneous release of MASH therapeutic data with different mechanisms at this meeting, the outline of the next-generation candidate pool is expected to become clearer.

At this EASL, Novo Nordisk's semaglutide (Wegovy) will present additional phase 3 analysis as a single-action drug that suppresses only appetite. U.S. biotech company Altimmune will deliver an oral presentation of 48-week phase 2b data for pemvidutide, a dual-action drug that combines appetite suppression (GLP-1) and a hormone (glucagon) that increases basal metabolic rate. Korean companies will share the stage as well: D&D Pharmatech’s DD01, like Altimmune’s pemvidutide, is a dual-acting drug that combines GLP-1 and glucagon activities. Dong-A ST’s DA-1726 also has dual action but is modeled after oxyntomodulin, a naturally occurring hormone in the human body. Yuhan Corporation’s YH25724 combines an appetite-suppressing hormone with FGF21, which acts directly on the liver, placing more emphasis on liver treatment than weight loss.

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