PegBio grants exclusive license for its GLP-1 agonist Visepegenatide (PB-119) to UAE's PDC for Middle East and Africa

On October 10, 2025, PegBio Co., Ltd. ("PegBio", Stock Code: 02565) announced that it has granted an exclusive license to PDC FZ-LLC ("PDC"), a leading pharmaceutical research and development organization in the UAE, for the development, distribution, marketing, and commercialization of its core product, Visepegenatide (PB-119), in the Middle East and Africa regions.

This collaboration focuses on a large and rapidly growing market. Dietary habits and lifestyle patterns in the region contribute to a high prevalence of diabetes and a continuously rising obesity rate. According to data from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the adult diabetes prevalence rate in the Middle East and North Africa region is as high as 16.2%, ranking first globally. Alimentary tract and metabolism drugs (which include diabetes treatments) constitute the largest therapeutic area in the region's pharmaceutical market, holding a 20.4% market share. This segment also demonstrated significant growth of 22.1% in the first quarter of 2025, directly underscoring the urgency and commercial importance of diabetes and obesity treatment in the region. Furthermore, the number of diabetes patients in Africa is projected to increase by approximately 142% by 2050, creating a highly potential market space for diabetes and obesity therapeutics. 

Concurrently, the global weight management drug market grew steadily from $99.7 billion in 2020 to $112.8 billion in 2024, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1%, and is expected to reach $277.4 billion by 2034. The Middle East and Africa region's share of the global demand for weight management drugs is projected to be among the highest globally, potentially reaching a scale of tens of billions of US dollars by 2034. This collaboration is expected to accelerate access to the innovative therapy Visepegenatide (PB-119) for numerous patients with unmet medical needs in the region.

Visepegenatide (PB-119) is a once-weekly subcutaneous GLP-1 receptor agonist independently developed by PegBio for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and weight management. Compared to some similar products on the market, Visepegenatide (PB-119) has demonstrated superior clinical characteristics, including a favorable safety profile, tolerability, and significant glucose-lowering and weight-loss effects. Its innovative molecular design and long-acting mechanism provide patients with a more convenient and stable treatment option.

PegBio believes that this collaboration will effectively leverage PDC's local advantages to rapidly advance the development, registration, and commercialization of Visepegenatide (PB-119) in the Middle East and Africa, creating long-term value for the company and bringing new hope to patients with metabolic diseases worldwide.