CKD-Novo Nordisk to jointly sell obesity drug 'Wegovy'

"Will jointly handle sales and marketing in hospitals and clinics from next month…will strive to expand the market for obesity drugs"

Young-Joo Kim, CEO of Chong Kun Dang (left), and Kasper Roseeuw Poulsen, CEO of Novo Nordisk Korea (right), are signing a co-promotion agreement for Wegovy on September 18 at Chong Kun Dang

Chong Kun Dang announced on September 18 that it has signed a domestic co-promotion agreement with Novo Nordisk Korea for the obesity drug Wegovy (semaglutide) at its headquarters in Chungjeongno, Seoul.

 

Through this agreement, the two companies will jointly handle sales and marketing for Wegovy in hospitals and clinics across South Korea starting October 1.

 

Wegovy is an injectable developed by Novo Nordisk with the active ingredient semaglutide.

 

It is an obesity medication that aids in weight loss and reduces cardiovascular risk by suppressing appetite and increasing feelings of satiety.

 

Launched in Korea in October 2024, it ranked first in domestic ethical drug sales for the second quarter of this year, according to IQVIA, a pharmaceutical market research firm.

 

Wegovy is the only GLP-1 single receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) and the only biologic among GLP-1 formulations.

 

Wegovy shares 94% homology with the GLP-1 hormone produced in the human body.

 

In the global pivotal trials, STEP 1 and STEP 5, Wegovy showed an average weight loss of 17%, with more than 20% weight loss confirmed in one-third of the subjects.

 

Consistent weight loss effects and a strong safety profile were also demonstrated in the STEP 6, 7, and 11 clinical trials, which included Asian participants, including those from Korea.

 

Wegovy is also the first and only obesity drug with an indication for reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

 

It has proven its ability to not only provide sustained weight loss but also to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events independently of weight loss.

 

A sub-analysis of the large-scale SELECT Phase 3 clinical trial, a cardiovascular outcomes trial (CVOT) in obese patients, showed a significant 37% reduction in the risk of major cardiovascular events within three months of administration (HR 0.63, 95% CI: 0.41-0.95).

 

Within six months of administration, the risk of death from cardiovascular disease was reduced by 50% (HR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.26–0.93).

 

In the heart failure patient cohort, the risk of hospitalization, urgent care, and cardiovascular disease-related death was reduced by 59% (HR 0.41, 95% CI: 0.24–0.67).

 

Young-Joo Kim, CEO of Chong Kun Dang, said, "We have great expectations as we become a partner for Wegovy, a groundbreaking alternative in the obesity treatment field." Kim added, "Building on Chong Kun Dang's accumulated expertise from leading the hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes markets, accompanying disease of obesity, and our successful co-promotion experience with multinational and domestic companies, we will actively expand the domestic obesity treatment market." Kasper Roseeuw Poulsen, CEO of Novo Nordisk Korea, stated, "Through our collaboration with Chong Kun Dang, the company with a strong presence in the chronic disease sector in Korea, we will raise awareness of Wegovy's clinical benefits and actively support medical professionals in Korea, thereby contributing to improving the treatment environment for patients suffering from obesity."