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【South Korea】South Korea's Hair Loss Drug Market Shifts as 10 Million Patients Await Insurance Coverage

Jun 15, 2026Local score 8.8

Source image preserved for article context.

Editor's note

This analysis highlights a pivotal regulatory shift in South Korea, where potential insurance coverage for hair loss could unlock a 10-million-patient market. For buyers, the key signal is the race for long-acting injectables, with Withus Pharm identified as a critical manufacturing partner, presenting both a supply-chain opportunity and a concentration risk.

South Korea's government is considering expanding national health insurance to cover hair loss treatment, a move that could unlock a market of 10 million patients and reshape the pharmaceutical supply chain for long-acting injectables. For overseas buyers and distributors, this signals rising demand for advanced drug delivery systems and manufacturing partnerships.

Market signal

South Korea's National Health Insurance Service estimates 10 million people—one in five citizens—suffer from hair loss. President Lee Jae-myung pledged during his campaign to include hair loss treatment under national health insurance, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare has initiated social discussions. If implemented, the policy would shift hair loss from a cosmetic concern to a recognized medical condition, potentially driving a surge in clinic visits and treatment adherence.

지난 2월 수석보좌관회의에서 이재명 대통령은 청년들에게 탈모 치료에도 건강보험 적용을 확대하는 방안에 대해 보고받은 뒤 "바로 결정하지 말고 사회적인 토론을 통해 의견을 더 모아봤으면 한다"고 주문했다. /사진=연합

Drug development race

Domestic pharmaceutical companies are racing to develop long-acting injectable formulations of finasteride and dutasteride, which currently require daily oral dosing. Chong Kun Dang is conducting Phase 3 trials for its dutasteride-based long-acting injection CKD-843. Daewoong Pharmaceutical and Inventage Lab have jointly developed IVL3001, a finasteride-based long-acting injection that recently received Phase 2 approval in Australia. JW Pharmaceutical is pursuing a novel approach targeting hair follicle stem cell activation.

Manufacturing bottleneck and opportunity

Long-acting injectables require precise microfluidic technology for uniform particle size and controlled drug release. Withus Pharm stands out as the only domestic manufacturer capable of producing both finasteride and dutasteride long-acting injections. The company operates a dedicated plant in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, with an annual capacity of 2.5 million vials, and has partnered with Daewoong and Inventage Lab. Industry observers see Withus as a potential key production hub as the market matures.

What buyers should watch

South Korea's hair loss treatment market is projected to exceed 200 billion KRW (approx. $150 million) this year, with the broader hair care and service market surpassing 500 billion KRW. The global hair loss treatment market is valued at around 19 trillion KRW ($14.5 billion) and expected to grow at double-digit rates over the next decade. Overseas distributors and clinic buyers should monitor insurance policy developments and manufacturing partnerships, as long-acting injectables could become a high-demand category for aesthetic clinics.

피나스테리드와 두타스테리드 기반 장기지속형 주사제를 모두 생산할 수 있는 설비와 기술을 갖추고 있는 위더스제약 /사진=위더스제약

Sourcing context

Withus Pharm's CEO Sung Dae-young stated, "We have focused on R&D to build the world's first facility capable of producing microfluidic long-acting injectables. We will enhance manufacturing excellence to become a pharmaceutical company that contributes to public health." For importers, this highlights a reliable CDMO partner for long-acting injectable production, while the policy shift could open new distribution channels for hair loss treatments in South Korea.

Source: Read the original report | Published: June 15, 2026