■GII Innovation announced on the 20th that its board of directors has resolved to issue 11,644,800 shares through a shareholder allotment followed by a public offering of unissued shares, which accounts for approximately 26% of the total number of shares issued. The company will also issue a free allotment of new shares, providing 0.1 shares per share held by existing shareholders after the paid-in capital increase. The expected issuance price is 6,870 won, applying a discount rate of 25%. The final issuance price will be confirmed based on the stock price on March 14 of next year. The base date for share allocation is February 12 of next year, and the listing date is scheduled for April 10 of next year. Korea Investment & Securities will act as the underwriter for the paid-in capital increase. The funds raised will be used for the clinical trials of immuno-oncology drugs GI-101A and GI-102 in Korea and the U.S., clinical trials for a large-scale anticancer drug GI-108, research and development for new pipelines including GI-305, GI-213, GI-128, and other operating funds.
■SK Bioscience stated on the 20th that it has received an A rating from Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) in the 2024 ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) assessment for the second consecutive year. The MSCI ESG assessment is a representative ESG evaluation system conducted by MSCI, a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley, which has been in operation since 1999. MSCI evaluates and publishes data on 10 topics and 35 key issues related to environmental, social, and governance areas for publicly listed companies worldwide every year. In this MSCI report, SK Bioscience received high scores in hazardous substance and waste management, human resource development, access to medicines, and ethical management.
■GC Cell announced on the 20th that it has been selected as a company subject to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) re-evaluation on-site inspection for the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S), which occurs every 10 years, and has completed the inspection. PIC/S is an international organization that aims to harmonize Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and provide a core foundation for the global market entry of Korean pharmaceuticals, comprising 56 regulatory agencies. South Korea joined in 2014. GC Cell has been selected as a company for the PIC/S re-evaluation inspection.
■LIGA Chem Bioscience announced on the 20th that the first patient enrollment in the Phase 1b clinical trial for the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) "CS5001," which was transferred to Ciston Pharmaceuticals in China, has been completed. Previously, CS5001 demonstrated excellent tolerability in patients with B-cell lymphoma and solid tumors during the Phase 1a trial, with no dose-limiting toxicities observed. The newly initiated Phase 1b trial is a study designed to establish the optimal dosing of the clinical drug. It will also serve as the basis for the design of a Phase 2 trial aimed at patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
■Essen Health announced on the 20th that it has started administration to high-dose cohort patients in the Phase 1b trial targeting patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) type 1A. This Phase 1b trial has been designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of repeated dosing of EN001 in CMT type 1A patients, with Professor Choi Byeong-ok from Samsung Medical Center serving as the principal investigator. The Phase 1b trial will involve three patients receiving a high dose (2.5 × 10^6 cells/kg), which is double the amount in the low-dose cohort, and is planned to be completed by next year. EN001 is a mesenchymal stem cell therapy developed using Essen's unique technology, characterized by its ability to suppress cellular aging and secrete more therapeutic substances.
■D&D Pharmatech announced on the 20th that it has been officially invited to participate in the 'J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM)' in January of next year. The 43rd JPM will be held from January 13 to 16 (local time) in San Francisco, California, and is considered the largest event in the pharmaceutical and biotech investment industry. D&D Pharmatech plans to participate at the invitation of the organizer, J.P. Morgan, and will conduct numerous business meetings with multinational pharmaceutical companies regarding its key pipelines and platform technologies. The company recently commenced a clinical trial for the oral GLP-1 obesity treatment DD02S through its U.S. partner, Metsera, and anticipates confirming the first validation results in humans for its oral platform technology, Oralink, as early as the first half of next year.
■Dongkuk Pharmaceutical announced on the 20th that it received a commendation from the Minister of Health and Welfare at the '14th Sharing Love Event' for its contributions to protecting vulnerable elderly individuals. Since 2016, Dongkuk Pharmaceutical has been conducting the 'Parental Love and Appreciation Campaign with Insa-dol,' producing 'Efficiency Boxes' filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste, and mouthwash in proportion to the number of campaign participants and donating them to the Comprehensive Support Center for the Elderly. In addition, since 2022, it has been running the 'Walking Donation Campaign with Sensia,' supporting medical expenses for leg disease treatment for vulnerable elderly individuals. Dongkuk Pharmaceutical has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 12th for the 'Loneliness Prevention Program for Elderly Individuals Living Alone' in 2025. Through this partnership, the company plans to collaborate on services like welfare call services to prevent loneliness among elderly individuals living alone and volunteering for visit services.
■Medpacto, a new drug development corporation, noted on the 20th that it is pursuing bioinformatics-related projects to secure sales in the next year. With the five-year grace period after going public now ended, the company plans to achieve annual sales of 3 billion won or more starting next year. To achieve this, it plans to expand its analytic services using biological data, including genomes, and to engage in the distribution and sale of pharmaceuticals and health functional foods.
■Myongji Hospital announced on the 20th that Professor Kim Min-seok of cardiovascular thoracic surgery has received the Best Presentation Award at the 10th International Conference on Coronary Artery Surgery (ICC). This year, the ICC conference was attended by over 300 cardiovascular thoracic surgeons who specialize in coronary artery bypass surgery. Professor Kim presented a paper on the topic, "Predicting the one-year patency rate of bypass grafts after coronary artery bypass surgery using cardiac computed tomography," which was selected as the best presentation. This research was highly regarded for its potential to predict surgical outcomes and suggest patient-specific treatment strategies using preoperative cardiac computed tomography data.
■Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital announced on the 20th that Professor Lee Sang-soo from the orthopedic surgery department has been selected as a '2024 World's Highly Cited Researchers (HCR)' by Clarivate Analytics. Clarivate is a global academic information analysis company, and HCR selects researchers who have published papers in the top 1% of citations across various fields over the past decade based on the quality of research and academic contributions. Professor Lee has conducted various research in artificial joints, hip diseases, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and geriatric orthopedics. Recently, he has focused on muscle biology research, establishing himself as a leading scholar in the field.