Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals expands Bofanglutide to South Korea with JW Pharmaceutical partnership

SOUTH KOREA—Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with JW Pharmaceutical to develop and bring bofanglutide injection to South Korea’s metabolic disease market.

The deal marks a significant expansion of the Chinese pharmaceutical company’s international strategy, following successful partnerships in India and Latin America.

Bofanglutide represents an innovative approach to treating metabolic disorders.

The bi-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, discovered and developed by Gan & Lee, differs from existing treatments by requiring only twice-monthly injections rather than weekly.

This convenience factor addresses a key challenge in patient compliance for long-term metabolic disease management.

Financial terms and development roadmap

Under the agreement, JW Pharmaceutical secures exclusive development and commercialization rights across South Korea.

Gan & Lee will receive an upfront payment of USD 5 million (KRW 6.8 billion), with additional milestone payments potentially reaching USD 76.1 million (KRW 103.6 billion) based on research progress, regulatory approvals, and market performance.

The company will also earn tiered royalties on net sales, bringing the total deal value to USD 81.1 million (KRW 110.4 billion), excluding ongoing royalties.

The partnership uses JW Pharmaceutical’s strong research and development skills to speed up the drug’s launch in South Korea’s expanding metabolic disease market.

With over 80 years of experience in this therapeutic area, JW brings substantial expertise that Gan & Lee identified as crucial for successful market penetration.

Clinical profile and market opportunity

Bofanglutide has advanced to Phase III clinical trials, targeting obesity, overweight conditions, type 2 diabetes, and obstructive sleep apnoea.

Clinical data demonstrate that the injection effectively reduces body weight and blood glucose levels while producing favourable changes across multiple metabolic markers.

Importantly, the drug maintains a safety and tolerability profile comparable to other glucagon-like peptide-1 therapies already available in the market.

The bi-weekly dosing schedule cuts the annual injection burden in half compared to standard once-weekly alternatives, potentially improving patient outcomes through better adherence to treatment protocols.

Expanding the global pipeline

Dr Zhi Li, chief business officer at Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals, emphasised the strategic significance of this partnership.

He noted that glucagon-like peptide-1 therapies are fundamentally reshaping how clinicians worldwide approach the treatment of metabolic disease.

The combination of bofanglutide’s convenient dosing schedule and proven clinical benefits positions the drug to address significant unmet medical needs in South Korea.

This licensing deal marks the company’s third international expansion for bofanglutide, demonstrating growing investor and clinical interest in the treatment platform as the global metabolic disease market continues to expand.