Pharmaceutical companies are actively working with drug delivery systems (DDS) companies to develop long-acting injections.
Long-acting injections are drawing much attention because they are regarded as a new “growth engine” that can overcome the shortcomings of existing treatments.
The development of long-acting injections is particularly focused on treating diseases that require long-term administration, such as diabetes, obesity, and hair loss.
Long-acting injections, also known as sustained-release injections, can replace medications with a single injection every one to three months.
Long-acting injections are administered to the muscle. The acting drug ingredient is released through the blood over a long period, or the drug’s molecular structure is expanded to prolong the duration of the drug’s effect.
Humedix signed an agreement with G2G Bio and HLB Pharmaceutical, respectively, to develop long-acting injections.
G2G Bio is working on dementia and diabetes therapies that last for a month, based on the technology called “Innovative Long-Acting MicroParticle (InnoLAMP).” Humedix plans to commercialize G2G Bio’s pipelines targeting Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and osteoarthritis.
Humedix also plans to develop a long-acting injection for obesity jointly with HLB Pharmaceutical.
The two companies signed an exclusive agreement in August to use the patent of the long-acting injection for obesity and conduct R&D together. They plan to develop the injection to contain the GLP-1 receptor in a microparticle made of biodegradable and biocompatible polymer material.
HLB Pharmaceutical has the patent on “Smart continuous Manufacturing system for Encapsulated Biodrug” (SMEB), a technology for long-acting injectable formulations.
HLB Pharmaceutical will research the long-acting injection for obesity, and Humedix will license the technology to proceed with clinical trials, licensing, production, and sales.
Daewoong Pharmaceutical, developing a long-acting injection for hair loss, received the nod for a phase 1 study in Australia on Sept. 29 and began the trial.
In June, the company signed a tri-party agreement with Inventage Lab and Withus Pharmaceutical to develop, produce, and sell IVL3001, the long-acting injection for hair loss treatment.
The three companies aim to release a hair loss treatment injection that can be administered once per one to three months in Korea by 2023.
Daewoong handles a phase 3 study, marketing approval, and sales; Inventage Lab, pre-clinical and phase 1 trials and production support; and Withus Pharmaceutical, manufacturing.
Ubi Protein also began joint development of next-generation obesity treatment with Bio Plus last month. The company said it would develop Saxenda, a GLP-1 type peptide injection, as a new form that lasts for one or two weeks and release it as a bio better drug with better dosing convenience and stronger effect.
Ubi Protein hopes to complete trials and roll out a new product by 2025.
Developers of long-acting injections all cited convenience as the biggest advantage of long-acting injections.
To treat diseases like diabetes and hair loss, it is important to take a fixed dose daily according to the doctor’s instructions. Still, patients taking long-acting injections do not have to take the oral medication daily, they said.
“Patients taking long-term medications often forget to take the drug,” an industry official said. “The long-acting drug market is expected to grow rapidly as companies try to boost the treatment rate of existing medicines.”