MiCo BioMed, a KONEX-listed company, announced Friday that it would acquire a 100 percent stake in Siloam Biosciences Inc., a Cincinnati, Ohio-based medical device company.MiCo BioMed, established in 2009 as NanoBioSys, has developed, produced and sold molecular diagnostic products for virus infection by extracting genes and detecting bacteria in them. It now manufactures and sells molecular d
Researchers have discovered variants of the CDKAL1 gene is involved in the removal of cholesterol in the blood, raising the possibility of developing a therapeutic agent for atherosclerosis.Atherosclerosis is a disease where cholesterol and plaque build up inside the arteries and, when severe, can lead to conditions such as angina, coronary artery disease, and heart attacks.High-density li
The National Cancer Center (Director: Lee Eun-sook) signed a contract Thursday to transfer a technique of cancer diagnosis using body fluids to biopharmaceutical startup Genopsy (CEO: Cho Young-nam).Under the contract, the patent on detecting and diagnosing Circulating Tumor DNA and Circulating Tumor Cells by using polymer nanowire, which is the research results of Professor Cho Young-nam
More than 10,000 doctors took the streets of Seoul Sunday to protest the new healthcare policy of President Moon Jae-in, dubbed the “Mooncare,” and called for an overhaul of the healthcare system.The objective of the Mooncare is to lower financial burden for citizens in need of medical care. It aims to do so by providing coverage for an additional 3,800 medical services – raising the share of
Eli Lilly Korea (CEO: Paul Henry Huibers) said it would launch its psoriasis therapy Taltz (ingredient: ixekizumab) in the domestic market on June 1.Taltz was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in December 2017 to treat moderate to severe psoriasis in adults requiring phototherapy or systemic therapy. The therapy is a biologic agent that inhibits the interleukin 17A protein,
Researchers at Samsung Medical Center have found critical characteristics of Asian women with breast cancer, finding them to be younger and sometimes face a worse prognosis than Westerners.Breast cancer is known to occur mainly after menopause, according to studies that have shown 85 percent of cases arising in postmenopausal women in America and Europe.According to Samsung Medical Center
Researchers from Konyang University Hospital have found a diagnostic method to predict the risk of death from acute pulmonary embolism by using the Delta Neutrophil Index (DNI).Acute pulmonary embolism is a disease where arteries in the lungs are blocked by a substance that has been moved from elsewhere in the body and can lead to respiratory failure caused by heart attack and sudden death.
Dr. Hong Waun-ki, an internationally renowned Korean-American oncologist, has built a colorful personal and professional resume throughout more than 40 years in academic medicine.Hong is a professor at the Department of Thoracic, Head and Neck Medical Oncology at MD Anderson, a professor at the American Cancer Society and Samsung Distinguished University Chair Emeritus, having published nearly
The number of marriages and births is dropping despite the government spending of more than 80 trillion won ($74 billion) to address the problem of the low birthrate.Data from Statistics Korea showed 30,000 newborns in March, down 9.6 percent, or 3,200 fewer babies, from the same month last year. The number of babies born in the first quarter of this year also fell 9.2 percent from the same pe
Researchers at Severance Hospital have discovered a targeted anticancer therapy candidate for a type of refractory stomach cancer called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-subtype gastric cancer.The findings are expected to drive forward therapy development for other refractory cancers the researchers said.EMT in gastric cancer is the process of epithelial cancer cells turning into tu
The Korean Society of Hypertension set forth guidelines that maintained high blood pressure be treated at 140/90 mmHg or higher, not following the latest recommendations of its U.S. counterparts.The American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) had updated its guidelines for physicians to treat high blood pressure at 130/80 mm Hg or higher, instead of
Professor Kim Hyo-soo is known for his work in both basic and clinical research in the field of cardiology and stem cell research. His ultimate aim is to bring new innovative stem cell therapies to market.As a master of multitasking, Kim told Korea Biomedical Review that he has enjoyed and endured work as both a physician and researcher throughout his career. He has published more than 100 pap
A British expert has stressed the importance of combining both early hormone therapy and chemotherapy for patients with metastatic prostate cancer.“Prostate cancer specialists should learn (about the necessity of chemotherapy) from breast cancer specialists,” said Dr. Amit Bahl from the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. “Breast cancer t
Korea’s “bio fever” is being spurred on by the domestic development of biosimilars by firms such as Celltrion, Samsung Bioepis, LG Chem, GC Green Cross, Chong Kun Dang, CJ Healthcare, and Dong-A ST.As the global biosimilar market is expected to grow explosively with more than 20 biologic products falling off the patent cliff by 2022, several domestic biopharma firms have jumped into biosimilar
Sanofi Genzyme Korea said Thursday that it got reimbursement for its prostate cancer drug Jevtana (ingredient: cabazitaxel) as a second-line therapy starting in May.Prostate cancer patients will pay 39,900 won ($37) per vial of Jevtana with the coverage, Sanofi Genzyme said.“Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the world among men, and cancer has been increasingly prevalent
Shares of Samsung BioLogics fell 4 percent as officials from Samsung BioLogics and the Financial Services Commission (FSC) met Thursday to review BioLogics’ alleged window dressing.Shares of Samsung Biologics fell 3.86 percent from the day prior on the KOSPI to stand at 398,000 won per share at closing. Prices of its stocks rose for two consecutive days starting Tuesday and bega
A probe by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) into the mass sepsis infection at a Seoul-based dermatology clinic revealed the presence of Gram-negative bacteria called Pantoea agglomerans.P. agglomerans is a ubiquitous bacteria commonly isolated from plants, seeds, fruits, and animal feces.The bacterium was found in five out of 20 patients who were infected with se
Allergan appointed Kim Ji-hyun as the new CEO of its Korean offshoot. Kim has had more than 20 years of experience, mostly in the pharmaceutical industry.Kim had previously worked at Gilead Sciences Korea and AstraZeneca Korea as well as at banking and financial firm HSBC and toy manufacturing firm Mattel. She worked at Leo Pharma Korea before the appointment at Allergan Korea.Kim graduate
Daewoong Pharmaceutical said it got the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s cGMP approval for its three-story, 7,284-square meter manufacturing plant that produces Nabota, its botulinum toxin product.The plant, which can produce up to 4.5 million vials of Nabota a year, is equipped with state-of-the-art production facilities and an advanced quality control system, Daewoong said.
Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) completed a training program for Thailand health authorities and related officials on Tuesday at its headquarters in Wonju, Gangwon Province.The training program was opened at the request of Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health and was attended by 19 officials from the ministry and Thailand's Institute of Medical Research and Technology Ass