Huons Lab, a subsidiary of Huons, said that it would cooperate in developing and manufacturing human genetic recombinant hyaluronidase with Pangen. Hyaluronidase is a recombinant enzyme protein that breaks down hyaluronic acid (HA) and is used as a drug diffusion agent.

With the recent increase in the use of HA fillers for cosmetic purposes and the development of antibody treatments or protein drugs by subcutaneous injection rather than an intravenous injection, companies have developed products using hyaluronidase to improve drug delivery ability.

Conventional hyaluronidase is a heterologous protein extracted from testicles of animals such as sheep and goats and can have unforeseen side effects. Interests in this field have increased, however, after the U.S. biotech firm, Talozyme, succeeded in developing the world's first human genetic recombinant hyaluronidase with improved biophysical properties while maintaining the unique mechanism of action,

Accordingly, Huon's Lab recognized the need to develop human genetic recombinant hyaluronidase, which is highly marketable and competitive all over the world, and joined hands with Pangen to promote localization.

"We are expanding our contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) business to expand our new drug pipeline, including nine new contracts this year," Pangen CEO Yoon Jae-seung said. "Going forward, the company plans to conduct joint clinical development and consignment development for high-business items such as hyaluronidase."

Huons Lab CEO Kim Wan-sup also said, "To lead the global healthcare market, we plan to expand the bio business at the group level. Genetically recombinant human hyaluronidase is an important technology that can be used in a variety of therapeutics."

Successful development will attract attention in the global biologics technology market, Kim added.

According to GosReports, a global market research firm, the global hyaluronidase market is expected to grow by 7.3 percent annually between 2016 and 2020.