Chong Kun Dang begins to develop a 3-drug complex
Daewoong Pharmaceutical develops Korea’s first ‘SGLT-2’
Hanmi Pharmaceutical launches 5 types of Dapalon family
The incidence of diabetes is increasing worldwide. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), by 2020 there will be approximately 537 million adults aged 20 or over with diabetes, and by 2030 it is expected to increase to 643 million.
In Korea, the number of diabetic patients, especially among young people, is increasing rapidly. If you look at the ‘Diabetes Fact Sheet 2022’ of the Korean Diabetes Association, as of 2020, there are 5.26 million diabetic patients over the age of 30 in Korea. In addition, the pre-diabetic glycated hemoglobin range of 5.7-6.4% has reached 14.97 million people.
As a result, pharmaceutical companies around the world jumped into the development of diabetes treatments in earnest. According to global research firm ‘Lenop Research’, the global diabetes treatment market is expected to grow at an average annual growth rate of 3.5%, reaching $82.92 billion (KRW 108.5 trillion) in 2027.
Diabetes is divided into two types, ‘type 1’ and ‘type 2’, and type 2 accounts for more than 85% of the total. In the past, ‘Metformin’ was the only treatment for type 2 diabetes, but since 2011, the effectiveness of ‘GLP-1’ and ‘SGLT-2’ has been proven, and the treatment paradigm has changed. In addition, as the reimbursement standard for SGLT-2 inhibitor combination therapy is expanded on April 1, pharmaceutical companies are throwing their votes into the diabetes treatment market. Currently, the leading companies in Korea are ▲Chong Kun Dang ▲Daewoong Pharmaceutical ▲Hanmi Pharm.
▲ Chong Kun Dang =Last year, Chong Kun Dang began developing a three-drug complex that added his company’s ‘Lobeglitazone (Duvier Tab.)’ to ‘Metformin’, a first-line treatment ingredient for diabetes, and ‘Sitagliptin’, a DPP-4 inhibitor. Lobeglitazone sulfate is part of Duvie, which was approved by Chong Kun Dang as the 20th new drug in Korea, and as a result of the study, it was confirmed that the reduction in glycated hemoglobin was greater than the reduction in the control group. Chong Kun Dang has currently applied for item approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and plans to release it in September this year.
▲ Daewoong Pharmaceutical =Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s type 2 diabetes drug ‘Enavogliflozin (Enblo Tab. 0.3mg)’ was approved as the 36th new drug in Korea in November last year. This treatment is an adjunct to dietary and exercise therapy administered to improve blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes. It prevents the reabsorption of glucose in the kidneys and excretes it in the urine, lowering blood sugar. In particular, this is the first time a domestic pharmaceutical company has developed it as an SGLT-2 inhibitor.
▲ Hanmi Pharmaceutical =Hanmi Pharm also deserves attention. On April 14th, Hanmi Pharmaceutical launched 5 out of 6 types of ‘Dapalon Family’, a series of anti-diabetic drugs containing dapagliflozin. Dapagliflozin, an SGLT-2 inhibitor, showed excellent blood sugar and blood pressure lowering effects and weight loss effects. Dapagliflozin has proven its effectiveness in reducing the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure and protecting the kidneys in diabetic patients through large-scale clinical trials. In addition, the weight of tablets is up to 47% lower than the weight of existing imported drugs, increasing patient compliance.
Professor Lee Woo-je of the Department of Endocrinology at Seoul Asan Medical Center said, “In clinical settings, various drugs are used to treat diabetic patients, but they must be selected according to insurance and patient characteristics.” You have to work hard to manage your weight through it,” she explained.
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