SharpyEfpeglenatide (Eppe): Hanmi's Weekly GLP-1, Explained
Efpeglenatide is a once-weekly GLP-1 shot from Hanmi Pharmaceutical, approved in South Korea on October 7, 2026 under the brand name Eppe for chronic weight management, with first prescriptions expected around October 29 at selected Korean clinics. In Hanmi's 40-week Korean trial of 448 adults without diabetes, people lost about 9 to 10% of body weight versus about 1% on placebo, which is less than Wegovy or Zepbound showed in their own trials. It is not FDA-approved and is not sold in the US. Whatever GLP-1 you use, protecting muscle with protein and strength work matters, which is what Sharpy helps you track.
What is efpeglenatide, and can you get it? Efpeglenatide is a once-weekly GLP-1 injection from Hanmi Pharmaceutical. South Korea approved it on October 7, 2026, under the brand name Eppe, for chronic weight management in adults. First prescriptions are expected around October 29, 2026, at selected Korean clinics. It is not approved by the FDA, and you cannot get it in the US.
It is the first GLP-1 weight-loss drug developed in Korea. Here is what is known, what is not, and how it stacks up.
Efpeglenatide at a glance
| Efpeglenatide (Eppe) | |
|---|---|
| Maker | Hanmi Pharmaceutical (South Korea) |
| Drug type | GLP-1 receptor agonist, long-acting |
| How it is taken | Injection, once a week (auto-injector) |
| Approved by | Korea MFDS, October 7, 2026 |
| Approved use | Chronic weight management with diet and exercise |
| Who it is for | Adults with BMI 30 or higher, or BMI 27 to under 30 with a weight-related condition |
| Doses | 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 mg; 10 mg is the maintenance dose |
| Korea launch | Around October 29, 2026, at selected clinics |
| FDA status | Not approved, no public US filing |
The weight-related conditions named in Korean coverage are high blood pressure, high cholesterol or other blood fat problems, sleep apnea and heart disease. Per Korea JoongAng Daily, the dose starts at 2 mg and steps up through 4, 6 and 8 mg over 12 weeks to reach 10 mg. That is the Korean label, not advice; only a prescriber decides on dosing.
Efpeglenatide brand name: Eppe, Effpe or Efe?
You will see three spellings. Korea Biomedical Review and Korea JoongAng Daily write Eppe, and the device name is Eppe Auto Injector. Other outlets write Effpe or Efe, because the Korean name can be written in English letters more than one way. If you are searching for news, try "efpeglenatide" first; it is the same everywhere.
Efpeglenatide weight loss: what the phase 3 trial showed
Hanmi ran its phase 3 trial only in Korea. It enrolled 448 adults with obesity or overweight who did not have diabetes. Their average age was 43, average weight about 89 kg (196 lb) and average BMI about 32.
| Result at 40 weeks | Efpeglenatide | Placebo |
|---|---|---|
| Average weight loss (Hanmi interim topline) | 9.75% | 0.95% |
| Average weight loss (figures reported at approval) | 9.02% | 0.89% |
| Lost at least 5% (topline) | 79.4% | 14.5% |
| Lost at least 10% (topline) | 49.5% | not reported |
| Lost at least 15% (topline) | 19.9% | not reported |
Two sets of numbers are floating around. The 9.75% came from Hanmi's interim topline. The 9.02% figure was reported with the approval in October 2026. We do not know the exact reason for the gap; it is likely a different analysis method. Either way, the answer is roughly 9 to 10%.
The trial ran 64 weeks in total. Korean reports say the weight loss held from week 40 to week 64, but the 64-week average has not been published yet.
Efpeglenatide vs semaglutide and tirzepatide
No trial has put these drugs side by side. Here are their own main trials, so you can see the scale:
| Drug | Main obesity trial | Average weight loss |
|---|---|---|
| Efpeglenatide 10 mg (Eppe) | Korean phase 3, 40 weeks | about 9 to 10% |
| Semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy) | STEP 1, 68 weeks | 14.9% |
| Tirzepatide 15 mg (Zepbound) | SURMOUNT-1, 72 weeks | 20.9% |
Efpeglenatide's number is lower. But its trial was shorter, and the people in it started at a lower BMI (about 32, versus about 38 in the big global trials, per the Korean lead investigator). So the gap is real but probably smaller than the table makes it look. For the drugs you can actually get in the US, see our GLP-1 medication comparison.
Efpeglenatide side effects
The most common side effects in the Korean trial were stomach-related, as reported with the approval:
| Side effect | Rate on efpeglenatide |
|---|---|
| Diarrhea | 17.6% |
| Nausea | 16.6% |
| Indigestion | 15.6% |
| Constipation | 14.6% |
| Vomiting | 11.6% |
Korean coverage says these rates were lower than Wegovy's in its trials, but that comparison crosses different studies. The pattern is the same as other GLP-1s: worst during dose increases, easing over time. Our guide to managing nausea on GLP-1s applies here too.
Efpeglenatide history: the Sanofi years and the NEJM heart trial
Efpeglenatide is not brand new. Hanmi licensed it to Sanofi in 2015 as a type 2 diabetes drug. Sanofi ran a large heart-outcomes trial, AMPLITUDE-O, then handed the rights back to Hanmi in 2020.
AMPLITUDE-O was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2021. It enrolled 4,076 people with type 2 diabetes and heart or kidney disease, who took 4 or 6 mg a week or placebo. Major heart events (heart attack, stroke, heart-related death) happened in 7.0% on efpeglenatide versus 9.2% on placebo, a 27% lower risk. A kidney outcome was also 32% less likely.
Those doses were lower than Eppe's 10 mg, and the people had diabetes, so the results do not prove the same benefit for weight loss. Hanmi then moved the drug to obesity and ran the Korean trial.
Is efpeglenatide FDA approved? US availability
No. We found no FDA filing and no US weight-loss trial as of October 23, 2026. Hanmi signed a deal in January 2026 with Laboratorios Sanfer to sell efpeglenatide in Mexico, which needs Mexican approval first.
If you see "efpeglenatide" sold online as a research peptide, do not buy it. Unapproved peptides have no quality checks, and FDA warns against them.
Efpeglenatide price in Korea
Hanmi has not posted a final list price. Korea Biomedical Review reports a first-month supply price of about 130,000 won (about $98), roughly half the 270,000 won reported for a four-week supply of Mounjaro's lowest dose in Korea. These are supply prices, not what each patient pays. Hanmi makes it at its own plant in Pyeongtaek.
What this means for you
For US readers, Eppe changes nothing today. But it shows where the market is heading: more GLP-1 options, more price pressure, and drugs built for specific populations. Next in line are CagriSema and amycretin from Novo Nordisk.
Every one of these drugs shares one risk: some of the weight you lose can be muscle. That is why a daily protein target and regular strength work matter whichever shot or pill you take. Sharpy sets your protein target, gives you one 20-minute workout a day and tracks your Shape Score, so the weight you lose is mostly fat. Our protein target guide explains the math, and how GLP-1s work covers why these drugs cut appetite.
If you live in Korea and are thinking about Eppe, ask your doctor whether it fits your health history. If you are pregnant, under 18 or have a history of eating disorders, that conversation matters even more.
Whichever GLP-1 you end up on, Sharpy keeps the daily basics simple: protein, a short workout, and a score that shows your shape, not just your weight.
Sources
- Korea Biomedical Review, "[News Analysis] Hanmi's Eppe enters Korean obesity drug race" (Oct 8, 2026): https://www.koreabiomed.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=33438
- Korea Biomedical Review, "Hanmi's 1st Korean-developed GLP-1 obesity drug set for Oct. 29 launch" (Oct 23, 2026): https://www.koreabiomed.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=33584
- Korea JoongAng Daily, "Korea's first GLP-1 obesity drug wins approval with less weight loss but fewer side effects" (Oct 8, 2026): https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/business/koreas-first-glp1-obesity-drug-wins-approval-with-less-weight-loss-but-fewer-side-effects/12910491
- American College of Cardiology, AMPLITUDE-O trial summary (Gerstein et al., NEJM 2021): https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Clinical-Trials/2021/07/12/18/03/AMPLITUDE-O
- BioSpectrum Asia, Hanmi and Sanfer Mexico deal (Jan 2026): https://www.biospectrumasia.com/news/25/27128/koreas-hanmi-pharma-secures-export-deal-with-mexican-partner-sanfer-for-glp-1-obesity-drug-and-more.html
- Wilding et al., STEP 1, NEJM 2021: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183
- Jastreboff et al., SURMOUNT-1, NEJM 2022: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2206038
Questions people ask
What is efpeglenatide?
Efpeglenatide is a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist made by Hanmi Pharmaceutical of South Korea. It works like semaglutide: it lowers appetite and slows how fast the stomach empties. Hanmi uses its LAPSCOVERY technology to make it last long enough for a once-weekly shot.
What is the brand name of efpeglenatide?
In South Korea it is sold as Eppe (Eppe Auto Injector). Some English-language reports spell it Effpe or Efe because of how the Korean name is written in English letters; Korea Biomedical Review and Korea JoongAng Daily use Eppe.
Is efpeglenatide FDA approved?
No. As of October 23, 2026, efpeglenatide is approved only in South Korea, by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) on October 7, 2026. We found no public FDA filing or US trial for weight loss. Hanmi has signed a distribution deal for Mexico with Laboratorios Sanfer, which would need its own Mexican approval.
How much weight do you lose on efpeglenatide?
In the Korean phase 3 trial of 448 adults with obesity or overweight and no diabetes, Hanmi's interim topline showed an average loss of 9.75% at 40 weeks versus 0.95% on placebo. Figures reported with the approval were 9.02% versus 0.89%. About 3 in 4 people on the drug lost at least 5% of their weight.
Is efpeglenatide better than semaglutide?
No head-to-head trial exists. In separate trials, semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy) averaged 14.9% loss at 68 weeks and tirzepatide 15 mg (Zepbound) 20.9% at 72 weeks. Efpeglenatide's 40-week number is lower, but the trials differ in length, people and design, so the numbers cannot be compared directly.
What are the side effects of efpeglenatide?
Stomach side effects were the most common in the Korean trial, as reported with the approval: diarrhea 17.6%, nausea 16.6%, indigestion 15.6%, constipation 14.6% and vomiting 11.6%. These are typical GLP-1 effects. The full Korean label has more detail; talk to a doctor about your own risks.
Why did Sanofi drop efpeglenatide?
Hanmi licensed efpeglenatide to Sanofi in 2015 as a diabetes drug, and Sanofi returned the rights in 2020. Sanofi's AMPLITUDE-O trial, published in NEJM in 2021, still showed a 27% lower risk of major heart events in people with type 2 diabetes. Hanmi then moved the drug to obesity.