Daewoong Pharmaceutical Advances Development of Monthly Injectable 'Obesity Treatment' Drug... Enhancing Drug Durability

Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced on the 12th that it has signed a contract with Tion Lab Therapeutics, Daehan New Pharm, and Darim Biotech for the joint development of a '4-week sustained-release injectable obesity treatment.'

Im Deok-su, CEO of Tion Lab Therapeutics (from left), Park Seong-su, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Jeong Hwan-gyu, CEO of Darim Yanghaeng, and Lee Won-seok, CEO of Daehan New Pharm, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing a joint development agreement for an obesity treatment drug on the 11th. Photo by Daewoong Pharmaceutical

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The newly developed obesity treatment is based on the semaglutide ingredient and enhances effective drug release and sustainability compared to existing treatments. These companies plan to form a consortium to combine their capabilities from preclinical to clinical, development, and approval stages for rapid development.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical will apply Tion Lab Therapeutics' long-acting drug delivery platform technology to extend the dosing interval of the existing once-weekly obesity treatment to once a month. The existing technology often causes the drug to be released rapidly at first and then decrease in effect over time, eventually falling below the effective dose. Additionally, the rapid increase in drug concentration in the body can cause adverse reactions such as indigestion, vomiting, nausea, and dizziness.

Tion Lab Therapeutics' 'Microsphere (Quject®sphere)' technology features a gradual drug release without an initial rapid burst, sustaining the drug's efficacy. It also boasts an industry-leading 'drug loading rate' by loading semaglutide at a high density of 20% within the drug delivery particles. According to the company, this allows the same therapeutic effect with a smaller amount compared to competing products and significantly improves patient convenience, thereby reducing the treatment burden.

Currently, preclinical studies for GLP toxicity testing and clinical dose setting are underway, and after completing formulation optimization, the company plans to apply for domestic Phase 1 clinical trials next year. In particular, Tion Lab Therapeutics' drug delivery technology can be expanded to various new drug developments, and Daewoong Pharmaceutical plans to expand its pipeline to include obesity and endocrine treatments.

Park Sung-soo, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, said, "The synergy created by combining Daewoong Pharmaceutical's accumulated know-how in metabolic disease treatment development with Tion Lab's proprietary drug delivery technology will be significant," adding, "Our goal is to develop a more effective and safer obesity treatment and launch it in the domestic market as soon as possible."

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