Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced Thursday that it has partnered with TionLab Therapeutics, Daehan New Pharm and Dalim Biotech to jointly develop a long-acting obesity treatment with a four-week injection interval.

The semaglutide-based drug is designed to enhance drug release and durability. Daewoong and its partners will collaborate on non-clinical and clinical trials, drug development, and the regulatory approval processes.

Daewoong will integrate TionLab Therapeutics’ long-acting drug delivery technology, Quject-sphere, to reduce the dosing frequency from weekly to monthly. The company aims to improve patient convenience and compliance.

The technology also ensures a gradual release of the drug from the initial injection. This can extend its therapeutic effects and lower the risk of adverse events such as dyspepsia, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.

Additionally, the drug is effective with a minimal injection volume of just 1 milliliter, as it loads semaglutide at a high density of 20 percent within the delivery particles, the company said.

Daewoong has been conducting non-clinical research to evaluate toxicology under good laboratory practice standards and determine appropriate clinical dosages. Following formulation optimization, the company plans to apply for a phase one clinical trial in Korea next year.

“By combining our expertise in metabolic disease treatments with TionLab’s advanced drug delivery system, we aim to create strong synergy,” said Park Seong-soo, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical. “We will strengthen our cooperation to develop more effective and safer anti-obesity treatments for the domestic market.”