CJ Bioscience said it has appointed Yoon Sang-bae as its new CEO, with his official confirmation to follow at an upcoming extraordinary shareholders' meeting and board of directors session.

Yoon brings extensive leadership experience in Korea’s pharmaceutical industry, having previously held executive roles at leading firms including Chong Kun Dang, Samsung C&T’s bio division, GSK Korea, Dong-A ST, Boryung, and most recently as CEO of Huons.

During his tenure at Huons from 2022 to 2024, Yoon spearheaded strong double-digit revenue growth, with consolidated sales rising from 492.4 billion won ($358.1 million) in 2022 to 552 billion won in 2023 (up 12.1 percent), and further to 590.2 billion won in 2024 (up 6.9 percent).

With Yoon stepping in as CEO, current CEO Chun Jong-sik will transition to an advisory role, providing strategic support in R&D and external networking.

Chun has led CJ Bioscience since its establishment, guiding the company through key milestones including the initiation of a global phase 1/2 clinical trial for CJRB-101, its lead microbiome therapy candidate.

He also oversaw the acquisition of assets from U.K.-based 4D Pharma and advanced the company’s AI-powered drug discovery platform.

“We expect the synergy between incoming CEO Yoon and outgoing CEO Chun to strengthen our competitive edge in the microbiome sector and generate meaningful results such as licensing deals,” a CJ Bioscience official said. “Yoon’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for the company as we accelerate our new drug development strategy and secure long-term growth drivers.”