■Oscotec announced on the 21st that it has submitted a clinical trial plan (IND) for its next-generation anti-cancer drug candidate “OCT-598” to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to overcome cancer drug resistance. Last month, it received IND approval for phase 1 clinical trials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This phase 1 trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic properties of OCT-598 in up to 51 patients with advanced solid tumors in the United States and Korea. OCT-598 is a dual-action anti-cancer drug that simultaneously inhibits the receptors EP2 and EP4 of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). It focuses on suppressing the “resistance” that occurs when tumors regrow after anti-cancer treatment. The company expects OCT-598 to be its second innovative new drug following the lung cancer drug “Lecraza.”
■Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced on the 21st that it held the “CGBIO Launching Symposium – MOVE TO NEW GEN” at Langham Hotel in Jakarta in collaboration with DNC Aesthetics, showcasing five major aesthetic products including Nabota to the Indonesian market. Since the dosing and treatment methods differ based on drug interactions, rich clinical experience is essential to secure safety and treatment efficacy. Daewoong, a leading corporation in the complex beauty treatment market armed with accumulated expertise and technology, plans to target the local market through a strategy of providing integrated products and treatment protocols.
■SK bioscience announced on the 21st that it held the “2025 Sky Vision Symposium” at the Grand Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul from the 19th to the 20th. This symposium, now in its 7th year, was an academic event inviting about 100 internal medicine and pediatrics practitioners nationwide to share the latest information on infectious diseases and prevention strategies, and to exchange voices from the clinical scene. Despite the continuing heat wave, practicing physicians gathered from across the nation actively shared their concerns about infectious diseases they have encountered in clinical settings, demonstrating significant interest and participation. In particular, medical staff projected that the influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) outbreaks would continue into the 2025-2026 season, emphasizing the necessity of proactive vaccinations.
■Boryung’s subsidiary, Boryung Consumer Healthcare, announced on the 21st the launch of the health functional food “Boryung Gan Enforce M”, which contains ingredients that can aid liver health. The main component of Boryung Gan Enforce M is “milk thistle extract”, which has been recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for its functionality in liver protection and reduction of liver enzymes. Boryung Gan Enforce M contains 100% water-soluble milk thistle at the recommended daily intake level. The main functional component of milk thistle, “silymarin”, is an insoluble substance that does not dissolve well in water, resulting in a low absorption rate in the body when taken in tablet or capsule form, with a bioavailability of only about 10-20%. Boryung Gan Enforce M utilized patented nanoparticle technology to enhance both absorption and bioavailability in the body.
■Dong-A Pharmaceutical announced on the 21st the launch of “Recovers Chondroitin Heat Cream”, which provides thermal effects when applied before and after exercise. This product contains five complex ingredients, including chondroitin, boswellia, MSM, amino acid complex, and magnesium sulfate. Notably, efficacy tests on humans have demonstrated improvements in skin blood circulation, immediate skin temperature increase, and reduction in calf swelling, and an irritation test on sensitive skin has also been completed. The Recovers Chondroitin Heat Cream boasts a skin absorption rate of 97.4%, allowing for a refreshing application without strong scents and stickiness.
■JW Pharmaceutical announced on the 21st the launch of a customized health functional food called “Daily Energy All-in-One Kkulol Pack” for busy modern individuals. The “Daily Energy All-in-One Kkulol Pack” is designed to provide a comprehensive vitamin product that can be easily taken in a single pack daily, contributing to liver health and vitality enhancement. The term “Kkulol” used in the product name is an abbreviation of “to lift up”, embodying the meaning of raising energy and vitality in weary daily life. This product includes milk thistle extract (silymarin 130㎎), which can support liver health, as well as a high concentration of eight types of vitamin B, which are involved in energy production and carbohydrate and protein metabolism.
■Curocell announced on the 21st that it has built an integrated solution called “CUROLINK” to track and manage the entire process from prescription to administration ahead of the commercialization of its next-generation CAR-T treatment “RIMQARTO.” CUROLINK is a cloud-based cell therapy supply management solution developed based on the formal licensing of Salesforce, the world’s number one customer relationship management (CRM) platform company. It has been developed progressively over about two years, designed in a structure optimized for hospital workflows by incorporating feedback from real treatment settings. It also connects organically with existing hospital systems, enabling real-time information sharing between hospitals, manufacturing facilities, and logistics, enhancing user convenience and on-site acceptability.
■HLB Global announced on the 21st the launch of its premium natural honey brand “AMAN” that encapsulates the honest energy of nature. “AMAN” is honey harvested from wildflowers growing at altitudes over 1,500 meters in the pristine highland region of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. It is characterized by a natural beekeeping method with minimal human intervention and a low-temperature extraction process below 40 degrees, preserving the inherent efficacy and flavor of honey.
■Dong-A ST announced on the 21st that it held the “20th Youth Environmental Love and Life Love Class”. The event commenced with the entrance ceremony for the 20th Youth Environmental Love and Life Love Class at Dong-A ST’s headquarters auditorium. The “Youth Environmental Love and Life Love Class”, now in its 20th year, aims to foster a spirit of respect for life by allowing participants to directly feel and learn the importance of the environment and life, rather than just engaging in volunteer activities such as picking up trash and recycling. This program has been hosted by Dong-A ST since 2004.
■ROKIT Healthcare announced on the 21st that it participated in the 2025 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Annual Convention held in Washington, D.C., from the 19th to the 23rd. Through the conference, ROKIT Healthcare introduced the applicability and global expansion strategy of its AI organ regeneration technology platform “Vet Regen” in the field of animal regenerative medicine. The company presented the animal-tailored extracellular matrix (ECM) regeneration patch technology based on existing human-targeted organ regeneration technologies for skin, cartilage, kidney, and diabetic foot. Additionally, it shared the technical structure and potential applications of the Vet Regen platform, characterized by precise tissue recovery and repeatable regeneration effects.
■Astellas Pharma Korea, the Korean branch of Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma, announced on the 21st that Lee Sun-hee, executive director in charge of sales strategy and market access, has been appointed as the representative director and president of Astellas' Egyptian corporation. This executive has over 23 years of experience in the healthcare sector at major domestic and international pharmaceutical companies and is the first in the Korean pharmaceutical industry to become the representative of Astellas' corporation in the Middle East. This appointment is evaluated as part of Astellas' strategy to discover and cultivate talents based on diversity and global career opportunities. Lee joined Korea Astellas in March last year, leading the sales strategy organization and achieving various results such as developing company-wide strategies, enhancing organizational capabilities, and advancing omnichannel marketing.
■Korea Merck Life Science announced on the 21st that it, in collaboration with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), hosted the “Merck-KAIST Workshop” in Boston, a world-renowned biohub city, from July 17-18. This workshop was established to commemorate the first anniversary of the strategic partnership between Merck Life Science and KAIST, sharing the achievements of their collaboration thus far and engaging in in-depth discussions on future joint research and cooperation directions. Merck emphasized its major achievements over the past year through the workshop, including the establishment of a new model for industry-academia collaboration, carrying out practical research to address industry issues, and contributing to the R&D and talent ecosystem in the life sciences sector in Korea and Daejeon.
■The Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization announced on the 21st that it has begun training talents based on industry demand as the central institution for the professional workforce training project supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and managed by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT). The plan is to cultivate master’s and doctoral level talents who will lead the next-generation bio industry in digital healthcare, biodata, and AI new drug development. Currently, the association runs two workforce training projects: the “Bio-Convergence Technology Specialized Workforce Training Project” and the “Biodata Industry Specialized Workforce Training Project.” Both aim to secure converged talents that will lead digital transformation and bio-innovation and are particularly noted for nurturing practical talents with excellent adaptability through industry-linked projects.
■The Seoul Biohub, a platform supporting bio and medical startups, announced on the 21st that it will proceed with a joint open innovation program with the Japanese pharmaceutical company Rohto Pharmaceutical. Recruitment for participating companies will be conducted from July 21 to August 11 through the Seoul Biohub website. Rohto Pharmaceutical is a leading Japanese pharmaceutical and cosmetics company established in 1899, familiar to domestic consumers with brands such as eye drops, Mentholatum, and Hada Labo. This collaboration marks the first open innovation initiative that the Seoul Biohub pursues with a Japanese pharmaceutical company and plans to expand opportunities for Korean startups to enter the Japanese market based on previous collaboration experiences with major domestic and international corporations like Celltrion, Daewon Pharmaceutical, BMS, and Novartis.
■Osstem Implant announced on the 21st that it has signed a strategic distribution contract with global company ZimVie Inc to exclusively supply ZimVie implants to dental clinics in China. Established in South Korea in 1997, Ostem Implant has become a leading company in the global dental market through bold investment in research and development (R&D) and the development of various implant product lines that ensure excellent quality. As the number one dental implant company in the Asia-Pacific region and the third largest globally, it operates 37 overseas branches in 33 countries and is well-known for selling the most implants worldwide. ZimVie, based in Florida, USA, is a dental medical company that was spun off from Zimmer Biomet in 2022.