Novo Nordisk’s Saxenda (ingredient: liraglutide), an obesity treatment, is causing huge stirs in the local obesity market as it surpassed 10 billion won ($8.3 million) in sales in the first quarter of this year, a jaw-dropping 299,485 percent increase from the same period of last year.

According to IQVIA, a global health research firm, Saxenda ranked first in the local obesity market, with 10.5 billion won in sales. The amount is over four times that of Daewoong’s Dietamin, which ranked second with sales of 2.3 billion won.

The drug now accounts for 32.7 percent of the domestic obesity market.

Saxenda is the world’s first glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analog obesity treatment that increases the feeling of fullness to help control appetite and to reduce hunger and food intake, leading to weight loss. The drug has won immense popularity in Korea since its launch in March 2018. In the early days of its launch, several hospitals had a hard time prescribing the medication due to its popularity.

Saxenda’s recognition has also led to an increase in the obesity market. The market in the first quarter of this year was 32.3 billion won, up 50.5 percent from a year ago.

Copyright © KBR Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution prohibited