■ The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced on the 9th that it has signed a vaccine procurement contract necessary for the national vaccination support project for influenza (flu) in the 2025-2026 season. The total amount of vaccines purchased by the government is 12.07 million doses (for one-time administration). The quantity was determined based on the actual number of vaccinations from the previous season, the target vaccination rate for the current season, and the results of local government demand surveys. The vaccine procurement companies selected, based on the lowest prices submitted via the Public Procurement Service announcement, are Sanofi-Aventis Korea, Boryung, Green Cross, and three other companies. The contract unit price is 9,339 to 9,660 won per dose (including distribution costs and VAT). Jeong Mi-kyung, the head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said, "We will ensure safe vaccinations by checking the storage facilities and transportation equipment on-site before the delivery of the vaccines to the procurement companies."
■ Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced on the 9th that it presented the results of the Phase 4 clinical trial for its chronic hepatitis B treatment, "Bemlidi (active ingredient tenofovir; TAF)," on May 30 at the ‘The LIVER WEEK 2025’ held at the Gyeongju Hwabaek Convention Center. This clinical research is a non-inferiority clinical trial designed to confirm the efficacy and safety of Bemlidi when cross-dosing with Baraclude (active ingredient entecavir; ETV) in chronic hepatitis B patients. It is the first such Phase 4 clinical trial comparing TAF to ETV conducted in Korea. According to the clinical results, hepatitis B virus (HBV DNA) was either not detected or found at very low levels (less than 29 IU/mL) at the 48-week mark of cross-administration with Bemlidi. The hepatitis B virus suppression rates were 100% in the Bemlidi treatment group and 99% in the Baraclude treatment group, both showing high antiviral efficacy.
■ SK Biopharm announced on the 9th that it presented its latest research results for the development of innovative Parkinson's disease treatments orally at the ‘GBA1 Meeting 2025’ held in Montreal, Canada, from May 5 to 7 (local time). The symposium focuses on GBA1 gene mutations, which are major genetic risk factors for Parkinson's disease. SK Biopharm's Parkinson's disease treatment candidate, "SKPD," aims to inhibit the accumulation of alpha-synuclein, the primary cause of Parkinson's disease. According to the presentation, SKPD restored motor function close to normal levels in various animal models, and the effects were maintained for up to three months after treatment cessation. It also effectively eliminated synuclein aggregates by activating lysosomal functions that degrade cellular waste and autophagy to remove damaged cellular components.
■ HANDOK announced on the 9th that the ‘Comfortable Stomach Laboratory in Chungbuk’ pop-up exhibition, conducted in collaboration with Chungcheongbuk-do, concluded successfully. The exhibition featured various programs allowing participants to learn about digestion through HANDOK’s digestive medicine, "Huasatal," which has been loved by the public for over 60 years. In the ‘Fun Laboratory’ corner, designed to explore a comfortable life, stress-relief games such as mole catching and speed stepping were provided.
■ Medytox's subsidiary NewMeco announced on the 9th that it has completed the first patient administration in a Phase 1 clinical trial for its botulinum toxin product, "NewLux," for market authorization in Taiwan. This Phase 1 clinical trial is being conducted on 13 subjects with moderate to severe glabellar lines in a single institution, single-dose, open-label manner to evaluate the safety and efficacy. NewMeco aims to complete the Phase 1 trial by the end of this year. To enter the Taiwanese market, NewMeco received approval for its clinical trial plan (IND) from the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) in April and completed the Site Initiation Visit (SIV) for the Phase 1 trial on the 23rd of last month, administering to the first patient on the 4th.
■ Noeul, an AI-based blood and cancer diagnostics corporation, announced on the 9th that it has signed an exclusive contract with Nihon Kohden Mexico, a blood analyzer manufacturer, to supply its AI-based blood analysis solution, "miLab™ BCM," worth at least $1 million over the next three years. This supply contract followed the successful completion of rigorous performance validation conducted over the past year with Nihon Kohden Mexico, showcasing Noeul's product strength and marketability in the global blood testing market. Nihon Kohden Mexico expects Noeul’s miLab BCM, an AI-based automated cell morphology analysis solution, to be essential in the Mexican hospital environment, where rapid and accurate on-site diagnoses are needed. miLab BCM is an innovative product that can replace approximately 680 million peripheral blood smear tests (PBS) performed globally.
■ WOOJUNG BIO announced on the 9th that it has officially declared its transition to a next-generation non-clinical bio platform and unveiled a new business strategy based on open innovation by collaborating with companies possessing artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Since the establishment of the WOOJUNG BIO new drug cluster in 2021, it has been building an open innovation-based bio platform by collaborating with various companies, institutions, and hospitals. In 2022, it opened ‘LAB CLOUD,’ an open research space and incubating center, to expand the platform ecosystem and has presented a blueprint for advancing to a highly sophisticated platform with technology, speed, and scalability through this transition declaration.
■ Pharos iBio announced on the 9th that it will participate in the ‘2025 Bio International Convention (Bio USA)’ to be held in Boston, USA, from the 16th to the 19th (local time). The company plans to showcase its next-generation acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment, "PHI-101," and refractory solid tumor treatment, "PHI-501," which bring together AI-based new drug development technology and research capabilities, while actively seeking opportunities for global collaboration.
■ KoBioLabs announced on the 9th that it will participate in the ‘2025 Bio International Convention (Bio USA)’ held in Boston, USA. KoBioLabs will participate in the partner program of this BIO USA, sharing the progress of its key pipeline as a leading company in microbiome therapeutics development and introducing its technologies. Through this, it aims to actively seek various global cooperation opportunities such as co-development and technology transfer, and strengthen its position in global markets.
■ Yuhan Corporation announced on the 9th that it operated a corporate booth themed around the ‘Napco Project’ participated by its founder, Yu Il-han, at the ‘2nd Korea Memorial Festa’ hosted by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs in celebration of the 80th anniversary of liberation. This event was held on the 6th and 7th of this month at the Olympic Park 88 Grass Field in Seoul and was arranged to share the values of patriotism, national defense, and democracy with the public. Approximately 4,000 visitors attended the booth over the two days, gaining significant attention for honoring the spirit of founder Yu Il-han, who was both a freedom fighter and entrepreneur. The booth was designed with the motif of the secret espionage operation, the 'Napco Project,' providing visitors an immersive experience as if they were secret agents from 80 years ago.
■ HUGEL announced on the 9th that it will exhibit artworks created by disabled artists affiliated with the Seocho-gu Hanuri Information and Culture Center at its headquarters in Chuncheon and its office in Seoul. The Hanuri Information and Culture Center is a comprehensive welfare center for the disabled that conducts various activities to improve the quality of life for the disabled, from cultural and artistic programs to lifecycle support projects. HUGEL plans to cooperate with the Hanuri Information and Culture Center by renting over 20 works by disabled artists annually to contribute to activating cultural and artistic projects for the disabled.
■ Dongkook Pharmaceutical announced on the 9th that it will conduct a pre-sale for its new beauty device, ‘Madeca Prime Max,’ from the 5th to the 15th of this month ahead of its official launch. During the pre-sale period, customers who purchase ‘Madeca Prime Max’ from the official site will receive discounts of up to 57% along with various purchasing benefits. Additionally, a trade-in offer will be available for existing users of the Madeca Prime line during this period. Customers who return products like ‘Madeca Prime,’ ‘Madeca Prime Tingle Shot,’ ‘Madeca Prime Infinity,’ and ‘Madeca Prime Ritual White Pearl’ will receive an extra 50,000 won discount when purchasing ‘Madeca Prime Max.’
■ Cureverse, a tenant company of Seoul Bio Hub, announced on the 9th that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its clinical Phase 1 trial plan (IND) for the low molecular compound drug candidate ‘CV-02.’ CV-02 is a low molecular compound that specifically acts on sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1R), showing significantly lower cardiovascular side effects and superior efficacy compared to existing drugs in non-clinical studies. This Phase 1 clinical trial will be conducted on 64 healthy adults, with 40 assigned to the single ascending dose study and 24 to the multiple ascending dose study, aiming to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic properties of CV-02 compared to the placebo group. The primary safety evaluation criteria include 24-hour electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring to confirm bradycardia (slowed heart rate), and the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) reduction rate will be measured as a dynamometric measure.