Novo Nordisk is seeking to replace the existing glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (RA) with a second-generation drug, semaglutide, to fight diabetes and obesity in Korea.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety authorized the use of Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic to treat adults with type 2 diabetes.

Ozempic received the permit as monotherapy or in combination with another antidiabetic drug as an adjunct to diet and exercise therapy. The treatment is administered to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke) in adults with type 2 diabetes who were confirmed with cardiovascular disease.

Novo Nordisk initially developed the first GLP-1 RA, liraglutide, as a type-2 diabetes treatment. As the drug showed a weight loss effect during research, the company shifted the target to obesity. Now branded as Saxenda, liraglutide is the world’s first and only GLP-1 RA to treat obesity.

Then, Novo Nordisk worked on a new generation GLP-1 RA, semaglutide, and commercialized it successfully.

Compared to the first-generation GLP-1 RA, semaglutide improves blood sugar control and weight loss.

Novo Nordisk also developed an oral GLP-1 RA to distinguish the treatment from other rival drugs.

The company is also preparing to replace Saxenda with Wegovy, a high-dose semaglutide, in the obesity treatment market.

Novo Nordisk obtained marketing approval for Victoza (liraglutide) in 2010 and released it as a non-reimbursable treatment in 2012. The treatment did not sell well due to the non-coverage of health insurance.

In August 2019, the company received the nod for Xultophy, a combo of insulin degludec and liraglutide. In May 2021, Xultophy got health insurance benefits.