From left: Hong Sung-won, vice president of Samsung Bioepis and head of Epis NexLab; Kim Kyung-ah, president of Samsung Bioepis; and Lee Hee-yong, chief executive of G2GBio, pose for a photo after signing an agreement for the joint development of new biopharmaceutical drugs and technology platforms. (Samsung Bioepis)
From left: Hong Sung-won, vice president of Samsung Bioepis and head of Epis NexLab; Kim Kyung-ah, president of Samsung Bioepis; and Lee Hee-yong, chief executive of G2GBio, pose for a photo after signing an agreement for the joint development of new biopharmaceutical drugs and technology platforms. (Samsung Bioepis)

Samsung Bioepis and Epis NexLab, subsidiaries of Samsung Epis Holdings, have signed a joint research and licensing agreement with Korean biotech G2GBio to develop long-acting obesity treatments, the companies said Monday.

The tripartite agreement aims to develop obesity drugs with extended dosing intervals and secure advanced drug delivery technologies using G2GBio’s microsphere-based platform.

Under the deal, Samsung Bioepis will obtain development and commercialization rights to G2GBio’s pipeline, including a long-acting semaglutide-based obesity drug candidate. The biosimilar developer will pay an upfront fee and additional milestone payments tied to development progress.

Separately, Samsung Epis Holdings agreed to invest 20 billion won ($13 million) in convertible bonds issued by G2GBio, strengthening strategic cooperation between the companies.

Founded in 2017, G2GBio specializes in long-acting drug delivery technologies. Its proprietary microsphere platform is designed to enable sustained release of therapeutic agents, potentially allowing medications to be administered less frequently while maintaining efficacy.

Kim Kyung-ah, president of Samsung Bioepis, said the agreement would help expand the group’s presence in innovative drug development.

“This agreement will serve as an opportunity for us to further advance as a comprehensive biotech company through the development of innovative medicines addressing unmet medical needs,” Kim said.

Lee Hee-yong, chief executive of G2GBio, said the partnership also secures manufacturing opportunities as the company prepares to build a second GMP facility.

“Since our partner will bear the global development costs for two drug candidates, including the obesity treatment, the agreement demonstrates not only our technological capability but also the business value of our platform,” Lee said.

By Jeon Ji-woo (jwjeon7625@heraldcorp.com)