Handok announced the official launch of its new subsidiary, Handok Healthcare, consolidating its consumer healthcare business unit and Theravalues, a Japanese functional ingredient company acquired by Handok in 2016.

The new entity will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary under Handok, reflecting the company’s broader strategy to strengthen vertical integration and enhance profitability across the health and wellness business.

Handok Healthcare will oversee the entire value chain -- from sourcing and development to commercialization -- leveraging Theravalues' proprietary ingredient teracurmin, a premium curcumin formulation with enhanced bioavailability.

The company plans to aggressively expand its footprint in both domestic and international functional food markets, capitalizing on rising consumer demand for natural and scientifically backed wellness products.

The new subsidiary will be co-led by Kim Dong-han, Executive Director of Corporate Planning at Handok, and Kwon So-hyun, CEO of Theravalues.

Kim will oversee the functional food and consumer health product lines, while Kwon will focus on global raw material business and R&D.

“With our differentiated ingredient Teracurmin, backed by pharmaceutical-level quality control and research capabilities, we aim to establish clear leadership in the curcumin segment,” Kim said. “Despite intensifying competition in the health supplement industry, our vertically integrated model centered on teracurmin will help secure profitability and support robust growth in Korea and overseas markets.”

Teracurmin, developed by Theravalues, significantly improves the bioavailability of curcumin compared to standard formulations, and has attracted market attention for its proven functional benefits.

Handok Healthcare is currently expanding the distribution of teracurmin-based products through major channels in Korea, including Emart Traders, as well as international platforms such as Amazon.

In addition to teracurmin, Handok Healthcare’s portfolio includes its health supplement brand NatureSet and the anti-hangover product ReadyQ.