Anti-obesity drug market stirred by lorcaserin safety issue

Belviq topped the market when released, but Contrav and Saxenda took over

MFDS “In process of evaluating cancer-causing factor of locaserin, doctors and pharmacists should be aware.”

Anti-obesity drug companies are on high alert as a safety issue has surfaced regarding lorcaserin, an active ingredient used for in anti-obesity medication..

 

Lorcaserin competitors are also getting busy anticipating doctors and pharmacists to avoid Ildong Pharmaceutical’s Belviq (locarserin), which was considered a safe anti-obesity drug.

 

However, the industry experts note the lorcaserin safety issue would not significantly affect the anti-obesity drug market, as it has been generally stagnant except for Saxenda.

 

According to pharmaceutical industry sources on Jan.

 

19, a pharmaceutical company in Korea supplying an anti-obesity medication has ordered their salespeople to collect information of Belviq-prescribing hospitals and clinics in their designated regions.

 

The company seems to try using Belviq’s safety issue to leverage sales of their own anti-obesity drug.

 

The safety warning notice on Belviq could be game changer in the anti-obesity drug market, because the competition is saturated with Alvogen Korea, Huon, Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical, Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical, as well as Ildong Pharmaceutical.

 

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) have issued a notice on Jan.

 

17 advising pharmaceutical experts to consider if Belviq’s benefit outweighs the potential risk after the U.S.

 

Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) warning issued on Jan.

 

14 about possibility of Belviq causing cancer.

 

Although a direct correlation of Belviq causing cancer has not been fully investigated, the Korean ministry warned doctors and pharmacists to consider the risk of cancer when prescribing the drug as a clinical trial testing safety of the drug found issues.

 

MFDS plans to review clinical data and change indications on Belviq.

 

Since the launch in February 2015, Belviq has attracted a huge attention.

 

The anti-obesity drug market did not have a sufficient option after sibutramine was dropped out of the market due to adverse events.

 

Approved for Korean market in February 2015, obesity-treating Belviq was developed by the U.S.-based Arena Pharmaceutical and has been supplied by Ildong Pharmaceutical in Korea.

 

First time after 13 years, FDA cleared the drug as a weight loss treatment.

 

After signing an exclusive marketing deal in 2012, Ildong Pharmaceutical has conducted clinical trials for two years with Arena Pharmaceutical.

 

In the first year of launch, Belviq generated 13.6 billion won and topped the anti-obesity drug market.

 

But its golden days did not last long.

 

Belviq sales peaked in the second quarter of 2013 making 4.1 billion won but started descending right after.

 

Its growth was blocked by launch of other competitors like Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical’s Contrav and Novo Nordisk’s Saxenda.

 

In last third quarter, Belviq generated 2.2 billion won according to IQVIA.

 

It took an 11.8 percent fall compared to 2.5 billion won made in same period the year before.

 

Meanwhile, the anti-obesity medication market has been growing exponentially.

 

IQVIA reported, the market volume marked 97.0 billion won in 2018.

 

The overall volume in 2019 is expected to surpass 120 billion won as the market made 32.3 billion won, 33.1 billion won and 35.4 billion won in the first, second and third quarter last year, respectively.

 

The exponential growth in the anti-obesity drug market was mostly led by Saxenda.

 

The drug generated 11.9 billion won in the last third quarter, a seven-fold of what it has made in the same time previous year.

 

The third quarter sales was a five-fold of Dietamin’s sales, the second in the market.

 

Saxenda accumulated sales marked 32.0 billion won up to the last third quarter.

 

It took the first place in the market right when it was launched and has been widening the gap with the second top seller in the market.

 

On the other hand, the rest of the products’ market shares have been shrinking.

 

Belviq has been on the second place ever since Saxenda was released, but Dietamin took it over in the fourth quarter of 2018.

 

Contrav, slowly absorbing Belviq’s pie since its release in 2016, did not even sell over one billion won last quarter.

 

Except for Saxenda, the anti-diabetic drugs—Belviq, Dietamin, Hutermin, Furing, Fendy, Xenical, Contrav, Adipex, and Furimin—are fluctuating in the market ranking without much of difference.

 

Accordingly, experts do not expect one of them having a safety to cause a big shift in market.

 

Also, the experts’ prediction of the safety issue unaffecting the market sounds more credible as the uncertainty in the safety notice cannot conclude a major shift in market.

 

A pharmaceutical company insider elaborated, “As some of anti-obesity drugs are categorized as psychoactive drugs, not all pharmaceutical companies would take aggressive marketing strategy.

 

Because Saxenda has prominent market presences, it is highly likely that a safety notice on Belviq would shake up the market.”