Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** This article outlines a three-pronged strategy for obesity drugs, highlighting the imminent launch of a daily liraglutide generic as the first major sales driver, with a domestic partnership set to bring it to market this year.
From daily and weekly injectables to pills… three-track plan for obesity drugs
The obesity drug market will be approached in three directions. The first to show visible sales will be a daily self-injected liraglutide generic. It is planned for release within the year through a contract with a domestic pharmaceutical company.
Nam explained,
“Unlike weekly injectables, daily dosing has the advantage of being able to immediately stop treatment to manage adverse reactions if they occur,” adding, “We will first target patients struggling with side effects from existing semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic ingredient) therapies and those seeking short-term weight loss.”
The semaglutide generic in a weekly injectable formulation, which will be the flagship product, is under introduction talks with two Indian pharmaceutical companies as partner candidates.
Nam said,
“We have asked the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to conduct a gap analysis of the approval requirements for the two candidate products to verify which partner can proceed more quickly with domestic approval,” adding, “Once the partner is finalized, we plan to officially launch in the domestic market in 2028, when the original developer’s patent expires.”
An oral pill-type obesity drug is also under introduction talks by expanding collaboration with these semaglutide generic partner candidates. Nam said,
“We will preemptively secure even the pill formulation, but instead of spending astronomical direct research and development (R&D) expense, we will take a pragmatic approach through open innovation by introducing products from verified partners.”
Pioneering ophthalmology with “hyaluronic acid DNA”… “Sales to materialize next year”
Among the new businesses, the area expected to generate sales first is a presbyopia-improving eye drop. JETEMA will introduce an improved drug from a domestic pharmaceutical company that has enhanced the efficacy of a global pharmaceutical company’s product. It is currently awaiting product approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Nam said,
“Approval could come as early as the end of this year,” adding, “Entering the market around the same time as the liraglutide generic, it is expected to drive initial nonreimbursable sales.”
The reason JETEMA can move quickly into ophthalmology lies in the raw material similarity with its existing cosmetic surgery business. Hyaluronic acid, the key component of fillers, is also widely used as a raw material in ophthalmic surgical aids and dry eye treatments. In fact, Nam and other founding members have built relationships over years with the ophthalmology community and specialists by developing hyaluronic acid-based ophthalmic agents since their days at Humedix.
Nam added,
“Ophthalmology hospitals and clinics that actively perform multifocal cataract surgeries engage in vigorous nonreimbursable marketing similar to cosmetic dermatology, so the sales approach is very similar,” adding, “We will target the market by linking our own sales force with ophthalmology-focused contract sales organizations (CSOs) and sales collaborations with other small and midsize pharmaceutical companies.”
“Reviewing global phase 3 candidates… aiming for launch in 2029–2030”
The hair loss treatment market will be approached with an emphasis on long-term safety verification rather than short-term results. Nam predicted,
“Just as the obesity drug market rapidly expanded with the discovery of ingredients delivering specific effects, the hair loss market will also grow explosively once the safety of substances with clear therapeutic effects—such as JAK (Janus kinase) inhibitors that modulate immune responses to prevent hair shedding—is fully proven.”
