The cumulative sales of LG CHEM’s Type 2 diabetes treatment medication "Gemiglo" have surpassed 1 trillion won. It has been 11 years since the product was launched. Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which insulin resistance increases due to environmental factors such as obesity, stress, and lack of exercise, or genetic factors, leading to poor blood sugar control.
LG CHEM noted that the combined off-label prescription amount for the "Gemiglo" product line, which includes Gemiglo, Gemimet, Gemidapa, and Gemilow, recorded 1.0659 trillion won from December 2012 to December 2024.
Gemiglo is the first domestic diabetes medication brand to surpass 1 trillion won in sales. Sales of the Gemiglo product line have increased consecutively over 11 years since its launch, achieving an average annual growth rate of 35%.
LG CHEM challenged the domestic production of diabetes medications for the first time in 2003, a market dominated by overseas pharmaceutical companies, and succeeded in developing a new drug in 2012, launching Gemiglo in December of that year. It took 10 years for the company to leap to the top position in the 1 trillion won domestic diabetes market. According to the company, it first reached the number one market share in 2023, recording sales of 153 billion won last year, a 6% increase from the previous year.
LG CHEM analyzed that over 500,000 diabetes patients are currently using the Gemiglo product line. The company has invested a total of 150 billion won over the past 20 years since the start of development, conducting more than 40 studies to accumulate a wealth of clinical evidence, thereby building high customer trust in the product's efficacy and safety. Additionally, by expanding the combination drug business based on Gemiglo, such as Gemimet, Gemidapa, and Gemilow, it has alleviated the financial burden on patients. For example, as of March this year, the price of Gemidapa is up to 25% lower (from 5.1% to 25.6%) than the combined price of the individual drugs with the same ingredients.
Son Ji-woong, head of LG CHEM's life sciences division, said, "The growth that has allowed hundreds of thousands of diabetes patients to receive treatment with Gemiglo products daily is thanks to the strong trust customers have in the product and the company. We will continue to focus on research and development to develop pharmaceuticals that can provide better lives for patients."