With the “BIO International Convention 2023” two weeks away, providing a battleground for pharmaceutical and biotech companies worldwide, attention is on the Korean companies that have thrown their hats into the ring.

BIO 2023 is the world’s largest comprehensive biotechnology convention attended by over 8,000 companies from 65 countries. As many global pharmaceutical companies participate, they actively discuss partnerships and technology transfers. This year's event will occur in Boston, Mass., from June 5 to 8.

It will be interesting to see how domestic contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) fare.

Like last year, Samsung Biologics and Lotte Biologics, armed with their strong CDMO business, are set to lead Korean participants jointly. Samsung Biologics is set to operate its fourth plant and build a fifth fully. At the same time, Lotte Biologics plans to start the construction of its Songdo mega-plant in Incheon this year.

Celltrion, which plans to launch its Humira biosimilar in the U.S. in July, will also attend BIO 2023. Aside from its biosimilar business, Celltrion has recently been accelerating the development of new drugs in various modalities, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), through R&D collaborations with Korean and foreign biotechnology companies.

LG Chem says BIO 2023 is significant because it is the first such event since it acquired U.S. biotech company AVEO Pharmaceuticals last year. At the time, LG Chem touted the deal as a bridge to the U.S. market for its pipeline of drugs under development for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), gout, and obesity.

HLB will also participate in BIO 2023 along with its affiliates. The company recently submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) for the first-line treatment of liver cancer with the targeted anti-cancer drug Rivoceranib to the U.S. FDA through its U.S. subsidiary, Elevar Therapeutics. Simultaneous with the U.S. NDA submission, HLB has begun preparations for its local commercialization, expressing its intention to enter the European and Japanese markets immediately following its U.S. advance.

Prestige Biopharma and Prestige Biologics are partnering at BIO 2023 as they prepare to resubmit their European license application for Herceptin biosimilar HD201 later this year.

CHA Bio Complex’s Chief Business Officer (CBO) Yang Eun-yeoung, formerly of Samsung Biologics, and CHA Vaccine Institute CEO Yeom Jeong-seon will also be on hand to discuss partnerships with global companies. In particular, they plan to increase contact with customers by setting up a promotional booth for Matica Biotechnology, a CDMO it set up in the U.S.

Among traditional drugmakers, Daewoong Pharmaceutical and JW Pharmaceutical put their names on the participants’ list. The Huons Group, which has diversified its business into botulinum toxin and biosimilars and existing businesses, such as local anesthetics and eye drops, is also preparing to seek partners at BIO 2023.

In addition, many new drug developers and bio startups will attend the event. Among them are Axceso Biopharma, TiUM Bio, YiPSCELL, ABL Bio, AbClon, NeoImmuneTech, Eutilex, ViGencell, Alteogen, PharmAbcine, MedPacto, Genome&Company, Olix, BridgeBio Therapeutics, Aptamer Sciences, AptaBio, AprilBio, Peptron, Rudacure, Youth Bio Global, and Aston Sci.

Standigm, an AI-driven drug discovery company, is also returning to BIO 2023 after attending last year.

In addition, Welt, which has licensed the second digital therapy device, “WELT-I,” in Korea, is scheduled to introduce itself on the site. Welt is also accelerating its expansion into the U.S. market by opening its office in Boston.

Besides, Korean contract research organizations (CROs) will also be present at BIO 2023, thanks to the recent rapid growth of the domestic and international CRO market. Dream CIS, whose parent company is Chinese CRO Hangzhou Tigermed Consulting, is such a participant. IVIM Technology, a provider of biomicroscopes to non-clinical CROs and research institutions, will also be present at the event.

KoreaBIO, a representative organization of the bio industry, will run the Korea Pavilion in collaboration with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA). Samsung Bioepis CEO Ko Han-sung will also attend the event as the president of KoreaBIO.

Fifteen companies will move into the pavilion. They are Kangstem Biotech, NetTargets, Medica Korea, Medific, Mepsgen, Bi-Nex, Biotoxtech, EyeGene, SNBioScience, Esteeone, Woojung Bio, Eubiologics, Intron Biotechnology, Geneuintech, and Proteina.

KoreaBio will exhibit and introduce each company's biotechnology and products.

Chuncheon Bio Industry Promotion Agency will also help promote companies in the city of Gangwon Province.