Amid the rapid growth of type-2 diabetes drugs, Daewoong Pharmaceutical has set a goal to increase the sale of its SGLT-2 inhibitor, Envlo (enavogliflozin), to 100 billion won ($76 million) within three years.

Daewoong is determined to grow the 36th homegrown new drug and SGLT 2 (sodium-glucose cotransport-2) type 2 diabetes drug to a blockbuster.

Korea's type 2 diabetes treatment market has grown 8 percent on average in the past five years to about 1.5 trillion won last year, according to UBIST, a market surveyor. That for SGLT-2 inhibitors, as monotherapy and combined therapy, increased 22 percent from 150 billion won in 2021 to 182.6 billion won last year, showing rapid growth.

Daewoong holds a weekly symposium to promote Envlo’s advantages to medical professionals. It will hold the workshop in more than 20 cities for about two months.

The company held the first symposium, ENVLO-D SYMPOSIUM, in Seoul and Daegu on May 3. About 3,000 medical professionals attended the workshop, and the participants shared the latest information and opinions on diabetes and recent clinical results.

“Due to the expanded reimbursement for diabetes, we expect the SGLT-2 inhibitor market also to grow, and the first homegrown SGLT-2 inhibitor Envlo to play a significant role in that process,” said Professor Cha Bong-soo of the Endocrinology Department at Severance Hospital who chaired the Seoul symposium.

Won Kyu-jang of the Endocrinology Department at Yeungnam University Medical Center said, “Envlo’s efficacy proven in the clinical trials on Koreans can work as the basis for backing up its prescription in clinical fields,” while presiding over the Daegu workshop.

Besides, Professor Lim Soo of the Endocrinology Department at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital explained the SGLT-2 inhibitors’ role and the latest clinical basis of Envlo at a recent medical conference organized by the Korea Endocrine Society.

“Envlo's demonstration of equal glucose-lowering effects with lower doses than other similar drugs seems to be due to its strong binding to SGLT-2 and relatively high glucose excretion in clinical trials,” Professor Lim said.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical CEO Lee Chang-jae vowed to establish ourselves in the domestic market and aggressively expand globally to make NBLO the best-in-class item in the family.

“We will expand advances to 15 countries by 2025 and 50 countries by 2030 to make the next homegrown blockbuster worldwide,” Lee added.