Epe, an obesity treatment developed by Hanmi Pharmaceutical, is expected to become available for prescriptions at some medical institutions around Oct. 29. However, as the product will be supplied in stages, nationwide distribution is likely to take additional time.
According to industry sources on the 27th, prescriptions for Epe are expected to begin at some medical institutions around Oct. 29. The date is an estimate of when prescriptions may become available, not the official launch date. Some hospitals have also announced that they expect to receive the product this week. Availability will vary depending on delivery schedules at individual hospitals, so patients should check with their medical institution before visiting.
Epe is a once-weekly GLP-1-based obesity treatment containing efpeglenatide. It uses Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s long-acting drug delivery platform, LAPSCOVERY. The product received domestic marketing approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the 7th, and Hanmi manufactures it in-house, from the active ingredient to the finished product, at its Pyeongtaek Bioplant.
Epe will compete with Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro. For a four-week supply at the initial monthly dosage of 2–4 milligrams, Epe’s supply price, including value-added tax, is 129,800 won (about $87). That is roughly half the approximately 270,000 won ($180) supply price for four low-dose Mounjaro injections and about 40% less than Wegovy’s approximately 210,000 won ($140).
However, the final amount patients pay will differ from the supply price because medical consultation fees and other charges are added to the prices set by medical institutions and pharmacies. Epe’s supply price for a four-week course rises to 228,800 won (about $153) at 6 mg, 277,200 won (about $185) at 8 mg and 299,200 won (about $199) at 10 mg. Patients therefore need to consider treatment costs after dosage increases, not just the initial price.
All three drugs are administered by injection once a week, but Epe and Wegovy act on GLP-1 receptors, while Mounjaro acts on both GLP-1 and GIP receptors. Wegovy contains semaglutide, while Mounjaro contains tirzepatide.
GLP-1 is a hormone released by the intestines after eating that helps regulate appetite and blood sugar. Epe and Wegovy use this mechanism to suppress appetite and help people feel full for longer. Mounjaro additionally activates GIP, another intestinal hormone.
In an interim analysis at 40 weeks of a Phase 3 clinical trial involving 448 Korean patients with obesity, Hanmi Pharmaceutical reported an average weight reduction of 9.75% with Epe. In Novo Nordisk’s global STEP 1 trial, patients receiving Wegovy underwent dose escalation toward a target dose of 2.4 mg and achieved an average weight reduction of 14.9% after 68 weeks. In the SURMOUNT-1 trial, the 15 mg tirzepatide group recorded an average weight reduction of 20.9% after 72 weeks.
Because the trials differed in treatment duration, dosage and participant characteristics, the figures alone do not establish which drug is more effective. It is also important to distinguish the initial monthly prices, which are based on lower doses, from weight-loss results measured over longer treatment periods that include dose escalation.
Hanmi Pharmaceutical plans to improve access to treatment through reasonable pricing and a stable supply, drawing on clinical evidence from Korean patients and its domestic manufacturing capabilities. If actual selling prices remain relatively low, Epe could offer an additional option for patients who have hesitated to seek treatment because of the cost.
Whether patients currently using competing products switch to Epe is likely to depend on factors including price, weight-loss results, side effects and the ability to continue treatment. The pace of nationwide distribution, costs after dosage increases and real-world prescribing experience are expected to determine how successfully Epe establishes itself in the market.
