Patients have been eagerly inquiring at various hospitals about the availability of Eppe, a new obesity treatment. On Thursday afternoon, a clinic in Seoul’s Jongno district saw a steady stream of patients seeking prescriptions for Eppe, Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s domestically produced obesity drug. The treatment, which began its rollout that day, garnered significant interest from the start, with some patients switching from previous obesity medications to try Eppe. Kim, a 31-year-old patient who visited the clinic for an Eppe prescription, shared her experience: It suffered severe discomfort from acute enteritis while using a previous GLP-1 obesity treatment. After that setback, She has been searching for a new option, which led her to seek out Eppe.
Lee, 32, a resident of Seoul’s Mapo district, expressed her anticipation that she’s been eagerly awaiting the release of Eppe. Knowing it’s tailored for Koreans makes her even more optimistic about its potential.
Dr. Kang, the clinic director, noted the high level of interest even before Eppe’s launch. It’s been inundated with inquiries by phone and online. Just this morning, a patient called to ask when the drug would be available, he said.
On the first day, approximately 20 patients received Eppe prescriptions at the clinic. Dr. Kang commented that while it’s too early to gauge the drug’s effectiveness, as patients haven’t returned after using it yet, the number of prescriptions issued has surpassed the expectations. For an initial launch, these figures are quite significant.
Eppe, developed by Hanmi Pharmaceutical, is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) obesity treatment administered via weekly injection. It received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on July 7th and is entirely produced in Korea, from raw materials to the finished product.
The medical community is particularly interested in Eppe’s competitive pricing. Given that obesity treatments often require long-term use, the cost can significantly impact patients’ ability to maintain their treatment regimen.
Dr. Kang explained that compared to existing obesity treatments, which can be quite expensive, Eppe is relatively affordable. In fact, it’s priced at nearly half the cost of some alternatives.
He emphasized the importance of cost, stating that GLP-1 treatments typically require at least a year of use to maintain the desired weight. Considering that patients need to commit to at least six months of treatment, the cost becomes a crucial factor.
While acknowledging the effectiveness of some existing obesity treatments, Dr. Kang suggested that Eppe could potentially disrupt the market. As it gathers more real-world data from prescriptions, Eppe might prove to be a game-changer in obesity treatment, he said.
Experts view Eppe as a promising new option for patients requiring long-term obesity treatment. Dr. Kang highlighted its relatively low price and demonstrated tolerability in clinical trials as key advantages.
However, he cautioned that since Eppe has just entered clinical use, there’s still limited real-world experience regarding its effectiveness and potential side effects. Patients transitioning from other obesity treatments to Eppe will need close monitoring for treatment responses and any adverse reactions.
Dr. Kang concluded that if Eppe demonstrates comparable efficacy to existing GLP-1 treatments, it could capture a substantial market share. Its affordability and potential for improved supply in the future are generating high expectations in the medical community.
