Development of Low-Molecular-Weight Synthetic Peptide Based on "Saxenda"
Huons has developed a Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) formulation as a synthetic peptide, aiming to target the obesity treatment market.
On December 17, Huons Co., Ltd. announced that it had received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for the domestic Phase 1 clinical trial plan (IND) for its obesity treatment 'HUC2-676'.
HUC2-676 is a product developed as a low-molecular-weight synthetic peptide, modeled after 'Saxenda Pen Injection' (active ingredient: liraglutide), which was developed by Novo Nordisk and launched in Korea. The approved clinical trial aims to demonstrate the equivalence of HUC2-676 and Saxenda by comparing their pharmacokinetic (PK) properties after administration to healthy adults.
For the past two years, Huons has been pursuing the development of GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA)-based obesity treatments as a core project to secure future growth engines.
Huons possesses a complete set of production machinery for cartridge-type local anesthetic lidocaine. As a result, the company is equipped with specialized production technology and machinery for cartridge-type products such as Saxenda and Wegovy, which are recently used as obesity treatments, and expects this to provide an advantage in developing synthetic peptide GLP-1RA products.
Obesity treatments based on GLP-1RA have recently emerged as a trend, in line with growing interest in health management and dieting. In particular, the expansion of the indication for 'liraglutide formulations,' originally used as diabetes treatments, to obesity has brought innovation to the obesity treatment market.
GLP-1RA is known to promote insulin secretion and suppress glucagon secretion, thereby lowering blood sugar levels, and to act on the hypothalamus in the brain to induce a feeling of fullness.
Park Kyungmi, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D at Huons, stated, "We aim to obtain product approval by securing quality equivalence between HUC2-676 and Saxenda, as well as by gathering non-clinical and Phase 1 clinical trial data," adding, "By developing a low-molecular-weight synthetic peptide that is equivalent to existing biopharmaceuticals, we will provide new options for obesity treatment."
In addition to HUC2-676, Huons is continuously conducting research and development to expand its obesity treatment portfolio.
The company is also working on a government project to develop semaglutide in tablet form. In September last year, Huons was finally selected for the '2024 Materials and Components Technology Development Project (Package Type)' led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, as part of research to develop oral peptide pharmaceuticals. The total research budget for the five-year project (three years for phase 1 and two years for phase 2) is 8.13 billion won, with 6.3 billion won in government funding.
Within this project, Huons is leading the development of production technology for finished oral peptide pharmaceuticals based on new materials, while Chung-Ang University, Kookmin University, and Sungkyunkwan University are participating as joint research institutions, working on developing absorption enhancers to increase bioavailability, securing formulation technology, and developing production process technology.
Through various research and development efforts, Huons plans to strengthen its obesity treatment portfolio, building on its existing appetite suppressant products such as 'Hutermin' and 'Fendi', and aims to become a leader in the obesity market.
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