Samsung Biologics booth photo at 2024 Interphex Week Tokyo /Courtesy of Samsung Biologics

Samsung Biologics announced on the 8th that it will participate in the Interphex Week Tokyo 2025, a comprehensive convention for bio and pharmaceuticals, which will be held in Tokyo, Japan, from the 9th to the 11th of this month. Interphex Week Tokyo 2025 is the largest B2B convention in Asia, hosted by the global exhibition company Reed Exhibitions (RX). Following last year's participation, the company plans to set up a standalone booth again this year and conduct proactive meetings to expand not only existing customer relationships but also to attract new customers. In particular, the company aims to accelerate securing new customers among the top 40 pharmaceutical companies through this event. In addition to the office established in Chicago, the company has opened a sales office in Tokyo earlier this year, further accelerating its penetration into the Asian market.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced on the 8th that it presented research results proving the metabolic improvement effect of its diabetes medication, Enblo (generic name Inavogliflozin), at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Annual Scientific Meeting, the world's largest diabetes academic event, held in Chicago, USA. This study compared the efficacy of Enblo with that of dapagliflozin, an agent in the same class, using data from a phase 3 clinical trial of Enblo. The results showed that, in addition to the previously disclosed potential for metabolic improvement in November last year, Enblo significantly reduced leptin levels regardless of weight changes, compared to dapagliflozin. Enblo demonstrated improvement effects across major metabolic indicators, and the leptin levels, which are involved in appetite regulation and energy metabolism, were significantly improved regardless of weight loss. Notably, this level showed a greater decrease compared to dapagliflozin, marking the first clinical results demonstrating leptin level improvement regardless of weight changes among SGLT-2 inhibitors.

Dong-A ST announced on the 8th that it has held a kickoff meeting with Ipsen Korea for the prostate cancer treatment product, Diperelin. This event was organized to commemorate the new beginning of Diperelin and to pledge for market expansion and successful collaboration. At the event, Chung Jae-hoon, CEO of Dong-A ST, presented an introduction to Ipsen, the background and vision of Diperelin's introduction, and emphasized Ipsen's strengths and capabilities as a domestic partner. Yang Mi-seon, CEO of Ipsen Korea, introduced Dong-A ST and discussed her experience in the domestic market and robust sales and marketing capabilities. Previously, the two companies signed a joint sales agreement for Diperelin in June, and since July 1, they have cooperated in sales targeting general hospitals, while Dong-A ST is responsible for sales to clinics.

HUGEL announced on the 8th that it hosted the HUGEL Training Seminar for 20 medical professionals in the aesthetic cosmetic field in the Yeongnam region. The HUGEL Training Seminar is a program where participants can receive systematic training on the usage of aesthetic products and execution techniques from basic to advanced levels, with a total of four sessions scheduled for this year. At the seminar, the medical professionals participated in theoretical lectures and practical demonstrations focusing on hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers and sutures, sharing insights into the latest aesthetic trends, treatment know-how, and clinical experiences. Presentations also included effective application techniques of the absorbable suture 'Blue Rose', wrinkle care using 'Vyrizen Skin Booster HA', and enhancing upper facial contours using the 'The Fill' filler.

CHA Biotech's subsidiary, CHA Vaccine, announced on the 8th that it has received the final clinical report (CSR) for its recombinant varicella vaccine candidate CVI-VZV-001 in Korea. The analysis revealed that antibody levels against the varicella zoster virus (VZV) increased by more than 2.7 times across all dosing groups by 48 weeks post-vaccination. Four weeks after the second vaccination, all participants showed over a twofold increase in antibody levels, achieving a 100% seroprotection rate (SPR). Safety and tolerability results were consistent with the topline findings announced in April. In a phase 1 clinical trial involving 32 healthy adults aged over 50 and under 65, tolerability and safety were confirmed in both low-dose and high-dose groups following a 48-week follow-up after vaccination.

HANALL BIOPHARMA announced on the 8th that its digestive regulator, Biotop, has achieved cumulative sales of 10.6 billion won as of June this year, marking the highest record ever. Biotop has been the top-selling item in non-reimbursed prescriptions for digestive regulators for four consecutive years since 2021. Following a 37.1% growth last year, which resulted in annual sales of 17.2 billion won, the product has achieved cumulative sales of over 10 billion won in the first half for the first time since its launch. Biotop is a licensed product intended for direct treatment and prevention of diseases, which includes three strains (Lactobacillus, Glucan, Yeast) that have been proven effective for treatment and safe for consumption through various clinical studies. The main ingredient, 'Lactobacillus', produces short-chain fatty acids (butyrate), supplying energy to colonic epithelial cells and strengthening barrier functions, thereby helping to improve immune function. Short-chain fatty acids are also effective in preventing and treating constipation.

HLB PHARMA announced on the 8th that it has appointed Dr. Kang Seong-gwon, an expert in research and development (R&D) in the product development field, including Drug Delivery Systems (DDS), as the head of its Central Research Institute. Dr. Kang will lead the development and commercialization strategies of HLB PHARMA’s long-acting injection platform, SMEB (Smart Continuous Manufacturing System) technology pipeline. The new head, Kang, graduated from the College of Natural Sciences at Seoul National University and obtained both a master’s degree in chemistry and a doctorate in pharmacy from the same university. Since 2003, he has served as the head of the Synthesis Research Laboratory and the Technology Research Institute at Chong Kun Dang, leading various new product development projects, including synthetic drugs, improved drugs, and natural products. Notably, he has accumulated both research and development experience and achievements in DDS-based technologies and applications.

KOLON announced on the 8th that Kolon TissueGene is set to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial in the U.S. in the second half of this year to expand the treatment indications of its osteoarthritis cell gene therapy, TG-C (Inboza). By the first quarter of next year, the trial organization will be selected, and starting in the second half of the year, hospitals for administering clinical samples will be designated to treat 24 patients with spinal indications with TG-C. Launched in Korea in 2017 under the product name 'Inboza', TG-C faced a revocation of its domestic approval in 2019 after it was revealed that the cells used in the product were not the cartilage cells originally approved but rather cells derived from the kidney. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) imposed a clinical hold the same year but lifted it in April 2020, allowing the company to resume clinical trials in the U.S. for knee indications. Currently, the Phase 3 dosing has been completed, and the company plans to apply for FDA approval in 2027 and start sales in 2028.

Coreline Soft announced on the 8th that it has received the designation of an excellent research and development innovation product for its AI-based coronary artery calcification analysis software, AVIEW CAC, from the Ministry of Science and ICT. The designation system for excellent research and development innovation products is established to promote private technological innovation by integrating public procurement and research and development policies. The designated innovative product, AVIEW CAC, is a software product that can proactively assess the risk of cardiovascular diseases by automatically quantifying the coronary artery calcification (CAC) index with a single low-dose chest CT scan. It has received a Class 3 medical device certification from the Korean Food and Drug Administration, achieving technical levels and safety for medical AI diagnostic software, and its performance excellence has been published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). It has also obtained the FDA's 510(k) premarket approval.

SillaJen announced on the 8th that Professor Lee Sun-young's research team from Yonsei University Severance Hospital presented the research results of the chemotherapeutic agent BAL0891, utilizing patient-derived organoids, at the 5th Asian Oncology Summit (AOS 2025) and the 51st Korean Cancer Association joint academic conference. AOS is the largest international conference in the field of cancer in Asia, held from the 3rd to the 4th of this month at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul, under the auspices of the Korean Cancer Association. According to the research results, BAL0891 demonstrated significant cancer cell inhibition effects in gastric cancer organoid models, and specific protein expression patterns were commonly observed in the responding models. Based on this, the research team derived potential biomarker candidates that could be used for future drug response predictions.

Samil Pharmaceutical announced on the 8th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for mutual cooperation with the AI startup Phoenix Lab to develop customized solutions for pharmaceutical companies based on generative AI. Samil Pharmaceutical will provide its expertise in new drug development, high-quality internal research data, and clinical experience while validating the effectiveness of the developed solutions. Phoenix Lab, established by SK Networks in Silicon Valley, will oversee the construction of the solutions based on advanced generative AI models and data analysis technologies.