JW Pharmaceutical applies for Phase 3 trials of biweekly obesity drug

JW Pharmaceutical has applied to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for a Phase 3 clinical trial plan for Bopangglutide, a new obesity treatment candidate. The trial will involve 300 adult patients with obesity or overweight and is expected to run from December 2024 through March 2029.

Bopangglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist licensed from China's Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals. A key differentiator of this subcutaneous injection is its administration schedule; unlike existing treatments that require weekly doses, Bopangglutide is being developed for once-every-two-weeks administration. This would reduce the annual number of injections from 52 to 26, potentially improving patient compliance.

Previous Phase 3 data from China (GRADUAL-1) showed significant weight loss after 52 weeks, with the 24mg group losing 15.12% and the 48mg group losing 18.54% of their baseline weight. The company also anticipates filing for Phase 3 trials regarding Type 2 diabetes indications in the near future.