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South Korean pharmaceutical companies are expanding external partnerships to enter the obesity treatment market, but their objectives and development strategies differ by company.
According to industry sources on May 9, Daewoong Pharmaceutical has begun jointly developing a once-monthly, long-acting semaglutide injection with TionLab Therapeutics, while HK inno.N is partnering with Atomatrix to discover non-incretin drug candidates using an AI-based platform.
Both cases reflect open innovation through external technology partnerships. Daewoong Pharmaceutical is focusing on dosing convenience and commercialization, while HK inno.N is prioritizing next-generation mechanisms and early-stage candidate discovery.
From Weekly to Monthly Dosing
Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced on May 8 that it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with TionLab Therapeutics for the global development and commercialization of a once-monthly, long-acting semaglutide injection.
The partnership aims to develop a long-acting formulation by combining TionLab Therapeutics’ drug delivery platform, “Quject Sphere,” with Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s microsphere manufacturing platform, “CURE.”
Quject Sphere is designed to suppress initial drug release, while CURE produces microspheres with uniform particle sizes to maintain consistent drug release. By combining the two platforms, the companies aim to control initial release, sustain long-term drug release, and reduce product-to-product variation.
Daewoong Pharmaceutical expects the collaboration to reduce annual injections from 52 to about 12 compared with existing once-weekly treatments, improving patient adherence.
“As obesity is a chronic disease that requires long-term management, treatment convenience and sustained dosing are just as important as therapeutic efficacy,” a company official said.
The development plan is already taking shape. After submitting an investigational new drug application in Korea in April, the two companies plan to begin domestic clinical trials and pursue global development, with the goal of dosing the first patient within this year. The strategy will draw on global clinical trial experience and PK/PD-based development capabilities.
Daewoong Pharmaceutical said the agreement strengthens its obesity treatment portfolio, which now includes oral drugs, microneedle patches, and long-acting injections.
“We have completed one of the industry’s strongest portfolios in obesity treatment,” said CEO Park Sung-soo. “Based on our global clinical and manufacturing capabilities, we will provide more convenient and effective treatment options.”
Exploring Next-Generation Mechanisms to Address GLP-1 Limitations
HK inno.N announced that it signed a joint R&D agreement with Atomatrix on April 27 to develop next-generation obesity treatments.
The collaboration aims to discover non-incretin, small-molecule drug candidates that could address the limitations of existing incretin-based obesity treatments, including GLP-1 receptor agonists, using AI- and computer simulation-based drug design platforms.
Under the agreement, HK inno.N will conduct candidate synthesis and biological evaluation, while verifying efficacy and safety. Atomatrix will handle candidate design and screening through its AI-based drug design platform, “CANDDIE.”
CANDDIE uses molecular dynamics-based analysis technology to assess binding stability and pharmacological responses between target proteins and drug candidates.
HK inno.N expects the approach to help manage development risks from the early research stage while reducing time and cost.
“We are focused on securing a new mechanism that can address limitations associated with existing GLP-1 therapies, including gastrointestinal side effects and muscle loss,” a company official said.
“By combining the strengths of both companies, we will quickly identify promising candidates and move them into the next stage of development,” said Park Byung-chul, head of HK inno.N’s New Drug Research Institute.
Daewoong Pharmaceutical and HK inno.N are not the only Korean companies pursuing obesity drug development through partnerships. Other examples include Yuhan Corporation with Inventage Lab, JW Pharmaceutical with Gan&Lee and Zefit, and Daewon Pharmaceutical with Raphas.
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