Chong Kun Dang said on the 18th that it will jointly sell the obesity drug Wegovy with Korea Novo Nordisk Pharma. The two companies will carry out sales and marketing of Wegovy to domestic hospitals and clinics starting in October.
Wegovy is an obesity treatment in the glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 class developed by Denmark-based pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. GLP-1 is a hormone secreted from the small intestine after meals. Drugs that mimic it were originally developed as diabetes treatments to lower blood sugar, but after their weight-loss effects were confirmed, they advanced into obesity treatments. The mechanism reduces appetite in the brain and slows the rate at which food leaves the stomach to increase satiety.
Kim Young-ju, Chong Kun Dang's CEO, said, "We have high expectations to become the partner for Wegovy, which is drawing attention as a groundbreaking alternative in the obesity treatment field," adding, "Based on Chong Kun Dang's know-how accumulated while leading the markets for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes—comorbidities of obesity—and on our successful co-promotion experience with multinational and domestic companies, we will actively expand the domestic obesity treatment market."
Kasper Rosseel Poulsen, CEO of Korea Novo Nordisk Pharma, said, "Wegovy is an innovative therapy developed as a result of Novo Nordisk recognizing the complex epidemiological issues of obesity and dedicating more than 25 years to research," and "we will further contribute to improving the treatment environment for patients struggling with obesity."