■SK bioscience announced on the 17th that it has received approval for the clinical phase 3 trial plan of its 21-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine candidate in the United States, following its approval in South Korea. The global phase 3 trial, which began dosing in Australia last month, is a study involving more than 7,700 infants, children, and adolescents aged 6 weeks to under 17 years. The trial will compare immunogenicity and safety with existing approved pneumococcal vaccines after up to 4 doses. SK bioscience and Sanofi secured successful phase 2 results for GBP410 in June 2023.
■Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced that it has published the third edition of "Latest Insights on Ursa," summarizing global clinical data and papers related to the active ingredient UDCA (ursodeoxycholic acid) found in the popular domestic liver treatment 'Ursa.' First published in 1999, this revised edition includes results from a phase 4 clinical trial that once again proved the efficacy of Ursa in improving liver function among chronic liver disease patients last year, as well as new global studies on UDCA, including the "gallstone prevention efficacy in gastric cancer patients after gastrectomy" that has been included in the Korea Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) treatment guidelines.
■ENCell, a company specializing in advanced biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) and new drug development, participated in the 2025 Korean Stem Cell Society Winter Conference held in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province from the 15th to the 17th. Deputy Minister Jeon Hong-bae delivered a lecture titled "Mesenchymal stem cell therapy for sarcopenia using Enhanced Neo Cell Technology (ENCT)," discussing the development process of EN001, a treatment for sarcopenia, cultivated through ENCell's proprietary technology. The company also set up a promotional booth to showcase its CDMO business and new drug pipeline, including EN001.
■Austem's subsidiary, Austem Pharma, announced on the 17th the launch of two oral care over-the-counter products, "Zeromia" and "Austem Chlorhexidine 15ml." Zeromia is a spray-type treatment for dry mouth utilizing carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) for its moisturizing function. Austem Chlorhexidine 15ml is a portable oral disinfectant in a stick pouch form. The company explained that it can help alleviate inflammation caused by prosthetics, Candida infections like stomatitis, gingivitis, pharyngitis, aphthous stomatitis, and assist in sterilization and disinfection after periodontal surgery while also reducing tooth discoloration.