Recent reports reveal that obesity treatment prices in South Korea are substantially higher than those in countries like China and Japan.
According to the telemedicine platform My Doctor, as of February 20, the lowest nationwide prices for Wegovy were: △0.25 mg at 190,000 KRW (about 132 USD), △0.5 mg at 230,000 KRW (about 159 USD), △1.0 mg at 250,000 KRW (about 173 USD), △1.7 mg at 320,000 KRW (about 222 USD), and △2.4 mg at 370,000 KRW (about 256 USD).
Mounjaro prices were reported as △2.5 mg at 270,000 KRW (about 187 USD), △5 mg at 360,000 KRW (about 249 USD), and the 7.5 mg dose at around 500,000 KRW (about 346 USD). Neither medication is covered by health insurance, leaving patients to foot the entire bill.
China, however, has recently seen price cuts. High-dose Wegovy (2.4 mg) costs about 988 CNY (about 143 USD) locally, while some e-commerce platforms offer low doses for as little as 230 CNY (about 33 USD).
Mounjaro’s low dose is priced around 550 CNY (about 80 USD), with the high dose at about 1,599 CNY (about 231 USD).
In Japan, these treatments are covered by health insurance. Insured patients only pay 30% of the medication cost, allowing them to purchase high-dose Wegovy and Mounjaro for just over 100,000 KRW (about 69 USD).
Industry experts attribute these price adjustments in China to the imminent expiration of the patent for semaglutide, Wegovy’s active ingredient. The patent is set to expire next month.
Post-patent expiration, generic versions are likely to flood the market, intensifying competition. Anticipating this, multinational firms have proactively lowered their prices, as Chinese pharmaceutical companies gear up to launch generics.
In South Korea, there’s growing curiosity about potential price changes. However, key semaglutide patents remain valid until 2028, making immediate generic competition unlikely.
Meanwhile, negotiations for health insurance coverage of Mounjaro for diabetes treatment are ongoing, but it remains uncovered for obesity treatment. The industry expects insurance coverage status and patent duration to significantly influence domestic pricing trends.