Korean obesity drug Eppe takes on Mounjaro, Wegovy with slimmer price tag

A Korean company is preparing to launch a homegrown obesity drug that will sell for approximately half the price of Mounjaro and Wegovy. 

Hanmi Pharmaceutical is expected to launch its glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) obesity drug Eppe later this month, according to pharmaceutical industry sources on Wednesday. 

The company is believed to have set wholesale prices for the GLP-1 obesity treatment at 24,200 won ($18) for a 2-milligram dose, 40,700 won for 4 milligrams, 57,200 won for 6 milligrams, 69,300 won for 8 milligrams and 74,800 won for 10 milligrams. The figures all refer to wholesale prices, not what patients will ultimately pay.

The wholesale price of the first four weeks worth of prescription use is estimated to be 129,800 won. That price is significantly lower compared to approximately the 270,000 won wholesale price for four weeks of Mounjaro at its lowest dose and Wegovy’s roughly 210,000 won wholesale price for four weeks.

Eppe is administered at a low dose initially, with the dosage gradually increased.

Patients receive two 2-milligram doses and two 4-milligram doses during the first four weeks. They then receive four 6-milligram doses in weeks five through eight and four 8-milligram doses in weeks nine through 12.

The maintenance dose is 10 milligrams.

The cost rises to 228,800 won for weeks five through eight and 277,200 won for weeks nine through 12.

Four doses at the 10-milligram maintenance level would cost 299,200 won at the wholesale level.

Hanmi, however, said it is difficult to officially disclose the wholesale price because the amount charged by the pharmaceutical company differs from what patients ultimately pay, which could cause confusion.

Eppe is an obesity treatment developed using Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s proprietary Lapscovery platform technology.

The drug has drawn attention as the first domestically developed GLP-1 obesity treatment approved in Korea.

Korea’s obesity drug market is currently dominated by foreign products, including Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy. Hanmi is expected to make Eppe’s relatively low price a key selling point. 

The size of Eppe’s price advantage will vary depending on the patient. 

“Eppe is a prescription drug that is not covered by national health insurance,” a Hanmi Pharmaceutical representative said. “The amount patients pay may vary depending on medical consultations and prescribing conditions.” 

The company nonetheless still stressed its new drug’s affordability.

“We view obesity as an important disease that threatens public health,” the representative said. “In line with Eppe’s goal of providing a new treatment option for obesity, we placed patient accessibility at the forefront when setting the price.”

BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]