‘Boehringer Ingelheim seeks first-in-class technology in Korea’

As Korea's new drug development technology gains global attention, Boehringer Ingelheim Korea has established a BD&L (Business Development & Licensing) Department to formalize its collaboration with biotech companies.

Junghyun Hahn, Head of BD&L, emphasized the company's commitment to forming strategic partnerships with Korean pharmaceutical and biotech companies to jointly develop first-in-class drugs with novel mechanisms of action and to serve as a gateway for global market entry.

Korea Biomedical Review met with Hahn to discuss the background behind the establishment of the BD&L division and future strategies for new drug development collaboration.

Question: What made you decide to move from Korean biopharmaceutical companies to a global pharma?

Answer: I began my career in academia and then transitioned to working at Korean pharmaceutical and biotech companies, where I gained experience in various therapeutic areas, including neuroscience, oncology, immunology, and metabolic diseases, while developing R&D and partnering strategies. I was particularly impressed by the remarkable growth of Korea's new drug development capabilities in recent years. Around the time I was considering contributing to the global connection of this technology, I learned that Boehringer Ingelheim was establishing a new Business Development and Licensing (BD&L) organization in Korea. I decided to take advantage of this opportunity to create a link in global open innovation.

Q: What is your overall assessment of Korea’s new drug development ecosystem?

A: Innovative new drugs start with basic science. From this perspective, Korea has made significant strides in its scientific foundation in a relatively short period, to the point where it can now compete with the U.S., Europe, and China. Of course, there are still challenges, but compared to the past, there has been remarkable growth in the number of clinical trial candidates and technological capabilities, making the future promising.

Q: How would you evaluate the competitiveness of Korea’s new drug development compared to other major Asian countries?

A: Simply put, the number of projects entering the clinical stage has increased significantly compared to five to 10 years ago. This is not something that can be achieved solely through scientific discoveries. It is proof that comprehensive capabilities, including preclinical research, chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), and regulatory response, have been established. This demonstrates that the Korean new drug ecosystem is maturing rapidly.

Q: What is the background behind the establishment of the BD&L department in Korea?

A: Our head office highly values the scientific and technological growth and dynamism of Asia. Among these countries, Korea is a rapidly growing market with strong political will from both the private and public sectors, as well as global-level technological capabilities. Therefore, we established the BD&L department to serve as an Asian hub, encompassing Japan.

In terms of scope, the Korean BD&L department also explores the potential for innovative new drugs in Japan. We aim to leverage Korea's unique strengths, based on its agile and dynamic execution capabilities, to serve as an innovation hub in Asia. For reference, China has a separate, independent BD&L team.

Q: Is there collaboration between BD&L departments within Asia?

A: Boehringer Ingelheim reviews global tasks by therapeutic area. Although there is a separate BD&L team in China, collaboration also occurs through technology introductions and funding opportunities in Korea, facilitated by the China Venture Fund and the OpnMe program (OpnMe is an open innovation platform operated by Boehringer Ingelheim).

Q: Are there any unique characteristics of the Korean R&D projects compared to other countries?

A: Compared to global projects, Korean companies are well aware of unmet medical needs and have many projects with the potential to be first-in-class. The strategic suitability of projects is key to global partnering, and we believe Korean companies are competitive in this regard.

Q: What are the five key therapeutic areas and main strategies that Boehringer Ingelheim is focusing on?

A: We are focusing on five areas: cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, fibrosis and autoimmune diseases, cancer, mental health and neuroscience, and retinal-centric ophthalmology. We place importance on first-in-class potential and innovation in the preclinical and early clinical stages.

Q: Why do you place importance on early-stage projects?

A: If scientific validity and strategic value are confirmed in the preclinical or early clinical stages, we can swiftly proceed to commercialization. Efficiently managing this process is one of Boehringer Ingelheim's strengths.

Q: How do you collaborate with the Korean new drug development companies?

A: We review projects through organizations, such as the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF), the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), and BIO KOREA, and follow a systematic process from scientific evaluation meetings to confidential disclosure agreements (CDA), material transfer agreements (MTA), and term sheet negotiations. Even if a project is not selected, we provide feedback and work together to foster growth opportunities.

Q: What are the main diseases or treatment technologies (modalities) most frequently reviewed in Korea?

A: As cancer is an actively researched field worldwide, there are many related project proposals in Korea as well. There is also significant interest in treatments for fibrosis. By modality, various options are being reviewed, including small molecules, antibodies, bispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and targeted protein degraders (TPDs).

Q: What homegrown technologies impressed you the most?

A: Companies researching new mechanisms in inflammatory diseases and autoimmune diseases were impressive. This demonstrated the depth of Korean technological capabilities even in high-difficulty fields.

Q: What are the review criteria for new modalities, such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) and targeted protein degradation (TPD)?

A: Boehringer Ingelheim has its own ADC and T-cell engager platforms. We are actively reviewing antibody-based technologies and new payload technologies that can be strategically linked to these platforms. For example, new E3 ligases and molecular adhesive technologies are also key targets.

Q: What is Boehringer Ingelheim's approach to collaboration?

A: We pursue collaboration in any form that can maximize the potential of a project. The most important factor is a long-term partnership. We seek relationships that enable mutual growth through projects, rather than one-time license-in/out agreements. We aim to establish partnerships that open up opportunities for the continuous development of improved therapies based on these relationships.

Q: What is the long-term vision of the BD&L department?

A: We aim to help Korean technologies advance globally by providing various forms of mentoring, from scientific consulting to market strategy, beyond simple technology introduction. Ultimately, our top priority is to contribute to improving the quality of life for patients. New drug development is a lengthy process that requires expertise in all fields, from basic science to commercialization. In particular, continued interest and support for basic science is essential for global new drug development. We hope that industry, academia, and government will work together to create an ecosystem.