Lapas is showing strong performance. This is interpreted as being influenced by the news that the world's first patch-type obesity treatment drug, Wegovy, will complete its Phase 1 clinical trial in October.
As of 11:01 AM on the 11th, Lapas is trading at 11,520 KRW, up 17.91% compared to the previous day.
In an interview with a media outlet, Do-hyun Jeong, CEO of Lapas, stated, "Lapas entering Phase 1 clinical trials for the patch-type Wegovy DW-1022 means that pharmacokinetic (PK) data was secured in non-clinical animal studies," adding, "Clearing the PK data hurdle, which is the most important in formulation changes, is very significant."
Lapas is a developer of microneedles. It is a technology where microneedles are attached to an adhesive band to deliver drugs through the skin. Currently, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy is a self-injection formulation, which requires patients to inject themselves, causing pain.
However, Lapas's patch-type Wegovy DW-1022 is expected to improve the inconvenience and pain of self-injection while maintaining the existing therapeutic effects.
According to Novo Nordisk's annual report last year, sales of semaglutide reached 127 billion Danish kroner (25.5 trillion KRW). Sales of another GLP-1 class drug, liraglutide (brand name Saxenda), were 18.9 billion kroner (3.8 trillion KRW). It is analyzed that the launch of the patch-type Wegovy could generate sales worth at least several trillion KRW.
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