Novo Nordisk Korea said Wednesday that its obesity therapy Saxenda (liraglutide) took a giant slice of the global obesity market by accounting for 40 percent of total obesity therapy sales in 13 countries during two months.

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 company said.

Saxenda

According to the analysis of IMS sales data of anti-obesity therapies in 13 countries from September to November last year, Saxenda ranked number one regarding market share, raking in around 47 billion won ($44 million) in sales, the company said.

Among foreign markets, Saxenda had the highest market share in Canada with 86 percent, followed by 79 percent in the United Arab Emirates, and 71.7 percent in Denmark, the company said. In the U.S., Saxenda sales accounted for 50 percent of the total obesity therapy market in November alone, it added.

“Achieving more than 40 percent of market share within three years of launch is encouraging and the valuable result of focusing and starting research on obesity as a disease requiring medical research,” said Novo Nordisk Korea’s general manager, Rana Azfar Zafar.

Novo Nordisk Korea said it would launch the drug in March.

According to the company, SCALE clinical trials proved the efficacy of the drug in losing and maintaining weight. Among obesity products, Saxenda was the only drug to improve cardiovascular risk factors such as blood glucose and blood pressure.

Among Asian countries, Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety was the first to approve the drug last July. The company first launched the drug in the U.S. in 2015.

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