Hanmi Pharmaceutical is making a full-scale entry into the domestic obesity treatment market with 'Effe,' its independently developed obesity treatment. As a domestically developed new drug joins the GLP-1 obesity treatment market, which has been led by global pharmaceutical companies, the range of treatment options is expected to broaden and the competitive landscape of the market is anticipated to shift.

■ Symposium Held on the 22nd… Prescriptions to Begin Around the 29th

Hanmi Pharmaceutical held a symposium for medical professionals at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul on the 22nd, announcing when Effe would become available for prescription. Prescriptions will begin at some medical institutions around the 29th. Hanmi Pharmaceutical CEO Hwang Sang-yeon introduced Effe as a result of innovation and a new treatment option for obese patients.

Effe is the first domestically developed GLP-1 obesity treatment to receive approval. It is also significant in that Hanmi Pharmaceutical carried out the entire development process in-house, from discovering the new drug candidate to clinical trials, product approval, manufacturing, and commercialization.

■ For Adults with Obesity or Overweight Without Diabetes… Administered Once Weekly

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved Effe as an adjunctive therapy for long-term weight management in adult patients with obesity or overweight not accompanied by diabetes. Approval is conditional on concurrent dietary calorie control and exercise, and five injectable doses, ranging from 2mg to 10mg, have been approved.

Weight loss effects were also presented at the event. Hanmi Pharmaceutical stated that when Effe was administered once a week, an average weight loss of approximately 10% was observed at 40 weeks.

■ Utilizes Proprietary 'LAPSCOVERY' Technology… Global Clinical Experience Accumulated

Effe's development utilized 'LAPSCOVERY,' Hanmi Pharmaceutical's proprietary long-acting drug platform technology, which focuses on extending the duration of a drug's action in the body.

Global clinical experience was also accumulated during development. Hanmi Pharmaceutical previously partnered with Sanofi to conduct clinical development involving approximately 6,000 patients with type 2 diabetes. Although the related rights were later returned, the company continued its own research and development, carrying the project forward as an obesity treatment.

■ Head-to-Head with Mounjaro and Wegovy… Competitiveness to Be Confirmed Through Prescription Expansion

In the domestic obesity treatment market, Eli Lilly's 'Mounjaro' and Novo Nordisk's 'Wegovy' stand as the key competing products. With Effe joining them, a competitive structure is expected to form in which a treatment developed by a domestic pharmaceutical company competes against products from multinational pharmaceutical firms.

However, Effe's actual market competitiveness will likely be confirmed as prescriptions expand. The weight loss results presented in clinical trials and treatment experiences in actual clinical settings need to be evaluated separately.

Hanmi Pharmaceutical's commercialization of Effe is drawing attention as a new option—a domestically developed new drug—has emerged in the domestic GLP-1 obesity treatment market, which has been dominated by foreign pharmaceutical products.

[Treatment effects and adverse reactions may vary by individual, and the use of medications should be determined based on the diagnosis and judgment of medical professionals. AI assisted in part with this article.]