Korean pharmaceutical and bio companies will head to the American Diabetes Association meeting (ADA 2026) to unveil their research on next-generation obesity treatments. As the global obesity treatment market evolves from a simple competition over weight loss toward muscle preservation, improved dosing convenience, and the development of multi-agonists, Korean firms are also moving to capture the market with differentiated technological competitiveness.
According to the industry on Tuesday, Korean companies will unveil a large volume of the latest research results in the obesity and metabolic disease fields at ADA 2026, to be held from the 5th to the 8th in New Orleans, U.S. The key theme of this year's meeting is the "quality of weight loss," going beyond simple reduction effects. GLP-1 class treatments such as Wegovy and Mounjaro have led the market, but limitations such as weight regain after discontinuation (yo-yo effect), muscle loss, and the burden of long-term use have been pointed out, drawing attention to next-generation treatment strategies.
The most closely watched Korean company is Hanmi Pharmaceutical (128940). Hanmi will present eight research results on obesity and metabolic diseases, the most among Korean companies. Its core pipeline, "HM17321," is a UCN2-based candidate that simultaneously induces fat reduction and muscle mass increase. At this meeting, research results addressing the prevention of muscle loss, improvement of musculoskeletal health, and heart and kidney protection effects will be unveiled.
"HM500197," which is being disclosed for the first time, is a peptide-based candidate that blocks myostatin, a protein that suppresses muscle growth. It is drawing attention as a new approach to obesity treatment that minimizes muscle loss during the weight loss process and improves body composition.
Proteina (468530) will give an oral presentation on "PRT1309," a GIPR antagonist antibody utilizing its own platform SPID. This candidate focuses on suppressing weight regain, which is cited as a limitation of existing GLP-1 class obesity drugs. By blocking the GIP signal involved in obesity and metabolic regulation, it aims to stably maintain weight even after weight loss.
Daewon Pharmaceutical (003220) will unveil preclinical data for a quadruple agonist that simultaneously targets GLP-1, GIP, glucagon, and gastrin receptors. As the current global market expands into a competition over dual and triple agonists, the strategy goes a step further, aiming not only at weight loss and blood sugar control but also at protecting pancreatic beta cells and improving kidney function. In preclinical studies, a weight loss effect of up to more than 50% was confirmed in obese animal models. Kim Joo-il, Vice President of Daewon Pharmaceutical's R&D division, stressed, "Through the convergence of the gastrin mechanism, we will develop a metabolic disease drug that goes beyond simple obesity treatment to realize the restoration of organ function."
Drug delivery platform companies put forward "once-a-month dosing" as a common keyword. Peptron (087010) will disclose its long-acting semaglutide candidate PT403, while Inventage Lab (389470) will unveil its long-acting semaglutide IVL3021. G2GBio (456160) plans to present research results on long-acting formulations of tirzepatide and retatrutide. The goal is to convert obesity treatments that currently require weekly dosing to a monthly level, thereby enhancing medication convenience.
