Hanmi Pharmaceutical has officially named its in-development obesity treatment "EPPE." Derived from the opening of its international nonproprietary name, efpeglenatide, the brand name was selected to be easy for the public to pronounce and remember.
According to pharmaceutical and biotech industry sources on July 29, Hanmi Pharmaceutical recently finalized EPPE as the product name for efpeglenatide and completed its brand logo and design.
Efpeglenatide is the international nonproprietary name (INN) officially designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015. The prefix "ef" refers to a protein utilizing Hanmi's proprietary platform technology, "LAPSCOVERY," while the suffix "enatide" derives from exenatide, a GLP-1 class ingredient. Within the industry, the shortened nickname "EPPE" had already become common practice because the full name is difficult to pronounce, leading Hanmi Pharmaceutical to adopt it as the official brand identity.
Mechanism and Clinical Trial Performance
Efpeglenatide is a once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist that incorporates Hanmi Pharmaceutical's long-acting LAPSCOVERY platform technology. According to the company, the drug is engineered for gradual absorption, maintaining a stable and steady blood concentration over time.
In an interim week-40 topline analysis of a South Korean Phase 3 clinical trial involving 448 adults with obesity, the efpeglenatide group achieved an average weight reduction of 9.75% from baseline. The maximum individual reduction observed was 30.14%, while female participants with a body mass index (BMI) under 30 kg/m² recorded an average weight loss of 12.20%.
Targeting Approval and Launch in Second Half
In December of last year, Hanmi Pharmaceutical submitted an application for marketing approval for its "efpeglenatide autoinjector injection." The product was previously designated under the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's Global Innovative Product on Fast Track (GIFT) program, with the company targeting regulatory approval and market launch in the second half of this year.
With its official brand identity established, Hanmi Pharmaceutical plans to position EPPE as a global brand showcasing its new-drug development capabilities and platform technology.
"Building on efpeglenatide's unique legacy, we will establish 'EPPE' as a leading Korean brand for obesity and metabolic disease treatments by making it intuitive and boosting public recognition," a Hanmi Pharmaceutical official said.
