Stem cells, which can be transplanted into a human body and differentiating into multiple body tissues, have been perceived as fascinating words by many people. Just the announcements of related patents or theses draw interests and attention. At the same time, however, people still cast a suspicious glance to them because of scandals like the fabrication of theses by Dr. Hwang Woo-suk and controve
Bio ventures promoting cosmetic products while claiming to carry the banner for developing new drugs are no longer new to the public. Not just ventures but some of the nation’s medium- and large-sized pharmaceutical companies may be reeling from severe revenue drops had it not been for makeup, health food, and beverage products.Given the nature of new drug development that requires massive inv
Practically every pharmaceutical company CEO outlines his or her aspirations for the New Year with phrases like “innovative new drug” and “global pharmaceutical company.” And some deliver on this promise to develop new drugs and sign technology export contracts.Does that mean Korean pharmaceutical companies are on track to become global players?At least one expert does not seem to think so
A biomedical industrial complex will open in Hongneung, northern Seoul, in July, setting itself up as the bio cluster of Northeast Asia. The Hongneung Biomedical Cluster (HBC) seeks to become the central “bio venture city” in this part of the world, making the most of the capital city’s geographical advantages and sufficient research capacity.Despite its ambitious objective, visitors find HBC
Ever since the various applications of stem cells came to light in 1998, public opinion of stem-cell therapy rose and fell like a rollercoaster based on industry achievements. Anticipation and concerns intersected. Accusations and compliments diverged.Amidst all of this tension, Dr. Kim Kyung-suk persistently devoted herself to the study of incurable diseases. In 2004, Kim started the stem cel
GemVax & KAEL is one of Korea’s top bio businesses in developing new drugs. In 2013, it tested candidate drug GV1001 on a sample size of pancreatic cancer patients, encountering frustrations when the multinational clinical trial yielded statistically insignificant results. However, it has since proven effective on patients with high eotaxin levels and been introduced as Tertomotide (Korean name Ri
With the rise of gene medicine, gene analysis technology and the latest information have become two core concerns in biotechnology. In fact, plenty of countries have pinpointed bio or precision medicine as national market strategies, and with the international DNA sequencing market increasing by about 20 percent annually, it is expected to ring in $11.7 billion dollars in 2018.Established in 1
The only thing domestic pharmaceutical companies know is medicine?Recently, domestic pharmaceutical companies have been jumping into the global competition by increasing their investment in the development of new drugs, but some in the industry call for the need to improve the environment, such as related policies and regulations.Jung-kue Lee, who founded Bridge Biotherapeutics, a “No Rese
