SK Biopharm announced on the 11th that it has received the highest rating of AAA in the 2024 ESG evaluation by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI). The AAA rating is the highest level given to approximately 3% of all evaluated corporations. SK Biopharm is the only domestic pharmaceutical company to achieve a AAA rating, placing it among the top seven global companies alongside major global pharmaceutical firms like Novo Nordisk and Merck. The company explained that this was made possible through innovative and genuine ESG management practices in all aspects, including climate change response, human capital management, and governance diversity and ethical management.
Apotabio announced on the 11th that it has received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for the clinical trial plan (IND) for its diabetic kidney disease (DKD) treatment ‘Aisuzinaxib (APX-115).’ The company plans to conduct the trial involving 186 severe patients at approximately 20 hospitals in the country. The trial will be conducted over a total of 32 weeks, with Aisuzinaxib administered at doses of 200 mg, 400 mg, or an equivalent placebo once daily. Apotabio intends to verify the safety of Aisuzinaxib and its effect on reducing urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) while determining the optimal dosage range.
Medytox announced on the 11th that its affiliate NewMeCo signed a distribution agreement with Hainan Steu Investment Co., Ltd. for the export of New Ramis and New Lox to China. Medytox and Hainan Steu will also sign a business agreement with China’s largest pharmaceutical company Sinopharm, which has annual sales exceeding 140 trillion won, to maximize marketing and distribution capabilities in China. Under this contract, Hainan Steu will take charge of the clinical phase 3 trials and approval process for New Lox, a next-generation botulinum toxin developed by NewMeCo, and will hold the rights for 10 years post-launch. They will also hold rights for New Ramis (Chinese name: Pilux), a hyaluronic acid filler registered in China by Medytox, for five years before its expected registration at the end of next year. In addition to sales royalties paid after the launch, Hainan Steu will pay a total of $10 million, including a signing fee and milestones.
Handok announced on the 11th that it has been selected as a health-friendly corporation certified by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Promotion Institute. The health-friendly corporation certification system recognizes companies that operate health-friendly systems in exemplary ways. Handok was highly regarded for establishing this system based on the management's strong interest and support for health-friendly management, thereby creating a health-friendly corporate culture through various tailored programs and benefits.
HLB announced on the 11th that it received a commendation from the Prime Minister in the comprehensive ESG sector at the 2024 Sustainable Management Awards hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and organized by the Korea Productivity Center. HLB was recognized for strengthening overall ESG management efforts, including expanding the use of renewable energy based on low carbon management, implementing safety and health and anti-corruption management systems, establishing systems for measuring social value (SV) and managing human rights risks, and actively introducing committees under the board of directors, including a non-mandatory audit committee. HLB was also the only domestic pharmaceutical and bio company selected as a 2024 Asia-Pacific climate leader by the Financial Times, receiving international recognition for its low carbon management achievements. A total of 17 domestic companies were selected as Asia-Pacific climate leaders for 2024.
The Korea New Drug Development Research Association announced on the 11th that it has signed a business agreement with the Korea Technology Finance Corporation’s Central Technology Evaluation Center to discover and support innovative pharmaceutical and bio companies. The New Drug Association and the Central Evaluation Center aim to promote evaluation dissemination through the enhancement of technology value assessment and support technology development for outstanding pharmaceutical and bio corporations. Under the agreement, the New Drug Association will identify excellent pharmaceutical and bio companies, including its member companies, while the Central Evaluation Center will conduct technology value assessments and provide financial support through guarantees, along with a ‘one-stop package’ for follow-up support, which includes technology transfer and expansion into overseas markets.
Korea University Medical Center announced on the 11th that it was selected as an excellent institution at the ‘2024 Cloud Industry Awards’ hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT. This award ceremony was established to recognize cases of excellent domestic cloud-related products and services developed or utilized with global competitiveness. Korea University Medical Center introduced the nation’s first cloud-based precision medical hospital information system (PHIS) in 2021 and has been selected as a data-centered hospital, achieving second place overall in 2022 in evaluations by the U.S. Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), and obtained EMRAM Stage 6 certification in October this year, working to build an advanced medical information system for personalized precision medicine.