Samsung Biologics said that it has signed a letter of intent for a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) deal worth 381 billion won ($317.1 million) with a European client.The company said it would disclose its European client's name after Dec. 31, 2023, due to confidentiality reasons.Samsung Biologics plans to produce the client’s biopharmaceutical products at its third plant in S
Local researchers said they have developed a new nanotherapy that targets and treats a brain tumor.A joint research team of Professor Kim Do-kyoung at Kyung Hee University College of Medicine and Professor Kim Hyo-young at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) said on Thursday the novel nanotherapy could target glioblastoma, the most common brain cancer.Patients with gliobla
GC LabCell said Thursday that it has acquired a patent for culturing methods of natural killer (NK) cells from the Japanese Patent Office.NK cells are innate immune cells that immediately tackle cancer or abnormal cells in the human body. Efficient mass production and cryopreservation is the core of commercialization because it is hard to culture high purity NK cell and its activation period i
Local researchers said they have developed a test method that can simultaneously identify 20 kinds of genes, such as DNA and micro RNA (miRNA), as well as RNA viruses like Covid-19.The research team led by Dr. Kim Sang-kyung at the Center for Molecular Recognition Research of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) said Tuesday it found a new way of detecting genes up to 20 types
SK Biopharmaceuticals expressed its aspiration to become a global leader in the central nervous system (CNS) treatment market on the occasion of its initial public offering (IPO).“We will do our best to help the domestic pharmaceutical industry leap forward through our growth the global pharmaceutical market, starting with the launch of our CNS drugs in the United States,” SK Biopharmaceut
A joint research team of the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) and Seoul National University discovered a protein that plays a crucial role in regulating brain signal transmission.The researchers unveiled a new mechanism of the synaptic adhesion protein called "Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase sigma" (PTP-sigma) in some neural circuits of the hippocampus, providing clues
A research team at the Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine has derived a gene that aids recovery from arthritis, suggesting its possibility as a biomarker that monitors such recovery.Most arthritis patients experience the recurrence and improvement of symptoms rather than continuous progress of inflammation. As its complete recovery is difficult, maintaining a good condition for a
Immunos Bio said Thursday that it registered a patent on the shaking culture method of immune cells, which creates an optimal cell culture environment by regulating shear stress.Shaking culture is a way of placing the cultured cells into a liquid medium and cultivate while continuously swaying on a shaker. The method is mainly used for culturing bacteria with cell walls because foam generated
Daewon Pharmaceutical said that it has launched Terrosa (Original: Forsteo), an osteoporosis biosimilar developed by Richter-Helm Biotec, in Korea.The biosimilar is a parathyroid hormone (PTH) gene recombination drug that treats osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and men and women at high risk of fractures. It promotes the action of osteoblasts in the bone, progresses bone formation, and
Prosecutors have revealed Kolon Life Science had to change contract manufacturing organization (CMO) for Invossa-K, gene therapy for knee osteoarthritis, from Wuxi to Lonza.The revelation came when the Seoul Central District Court held the second trial on Kolon Life Science CEO Lee Woo-sok and company executives on Wednesday. The company initially wanted Wuxi to manufacture Invossa samples for
A Yonsei University research team said Wednesday that Helixmith's botanic compound, Cheonma extract (HX106), can inhibit the aggregation of toxic proteins, a significant cause of Alzheimer's disease.Helixmith has developed a botanic compound product, HX106, and proved its efficacy in improving memory through human trials after undergoing basic studies. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety appr
HanAll Biopharma said that it has posted 22.1 billion won ($18.1 million) in sales in the first quarter of this year, down 9.8 percent from the same period in 2019. However, the company registered the operating and net profits of 3 billion won and 4 billion won, respectively, up 15.5 and 16.2 percent over the cited period.“Sales decreased slightly due to the Covid-19 outbreak in the first quar
JW CreaGene, a subsidiary of JW Shinyak, said Friday that it has won approval from the European Patent Office (EPO) for technology to develop new biotreatment using semi-mature dendritic cells (DC).The patent relates to a method to make semi-mature DC by processing autoantigens and activating substances to immature DC. The technology is used to develop treatments and vaccines for autoimmune di
Bridge Biotherapeutics said that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has given the green light to its investigational new drug (IND) application of BBT-176, a non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) treatment.BBT-176 is a novel epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) that hinders the signaling pathway of EGFR with C797S mutations, which arise from resistant mutatio
Celltrion Healthcare said that it launched Remsima SC, an autoimmune biosimilar, in the Netherlands on April 27.The launch followed similar market releases of the product in Germany and the U.K. in February and March of this year, respectively. Before the launch in the Dutch market, the company also had an online symposium, participated in by 200 medical professionals on April 21."The
“A global pharmaceutical company is conducting a verification test on therapeutic delivery technologies (of four biotech firms). I’m sure we will beat the three other biotech firms and clinch a licensing deal.”So said Jo Dae-woong, CEO of Cellivery Therapeutics, at a news conference in Yeouido, Seoul, Wednesday.Since last year, the protein-based drug discovery company has been receiving a
Theragen Bio, a spin-off firm of Theragen Etex, officially launched on Monday after completing the split-up process, aiming to become a company that specializes in developing customized new drugs based on genome analytic technology.Theragen Etex decided to spin off its genome division into a new unlisted company, Theragen Bio, at its general shareholders' meeting in March.Theragen Bio has
Kolon Life Science said Monday it has started the administration of an experimental gene therapy KLS-2031 to the first patient to treat neuropathic pain in the phase-1/2a trial in the U.S.KLS-2031 is a candidate for the first-in-class drug for the treatment of lumbosacral radiculopathy, a pain syndrome caused by compression or irritation of nerve roots in the lower back. The U.S. Food and Drug
Pharmicell said Friday that it has made the first shipments according to the Methoxy-Polyethylene glycol (mPEG) supply contract with UCB, a multinational biopharmaceutical company. The company also received new orders worth 900 million won ($730,000) from Nektar Therapeutics of the United States.Pharmicell said it expects that revenue from mPEG alone would increase to 5 billion won this year,
Celltrion HealthCare said Monday that its biosimilar Herzuma (Ingredient: trastuzumab) for the treatment of breast and gastric cancer has been rapidly expanding its presence in Japan, occupying a 40-percent market share last month.Three trastuzumab biosimilars have been released in the Japanese market, and Herzuma took 95 percent of prescriptions, practically dominating its rivals, it said.