Doctor Now, a non-face-to-face medical consultation platform, reported on the 23rd that more than 760,000 non-face-to-face consultations were conducted last year. In the second half of the year alone, there were more than 480,000 consultations, which is about double the 280,000 in the first half. Mild illness benefits, such as colds, body aches, gynecology, and pediatrics, accounted for a high proportion of about 70% in the second half. This figure is similar to that seen around mid-2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of December last year, the monthly number of consultations was approximately 117,000, a tenfold increase compared to the same month the previous year. The company noted that the participation rate of pharmacies related to non-face-to-face prescriptions and the usage rate of Doctor Now also increased significantly. In the last year, pharmacies that dispensed prescription medications through Doctor Now numbered 17,100 nationwide, accounting for 68% of domestic pharmacies, meaning that 7 out of 10 pharmacies participated in non-face-to-face prescriptions through Doctor Now. During the same period, the number of pharmacies partnering with Doctor Now increased by more than 102% compared to the previous year.
AI-based medical device corporation Healron announced on the 23rd that its non-contrast CT-based emergency stroke screening AI solution "Healron Stroke Care Suite" and Parkinson's disease solution "Healron IPD" have obtained market approval in Taiwan. Healron also received approval for its Alzheimer's disease solution "Healron AD" last August. With this, all approvals for stroke, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease in Taiwan have been secured. Healron signed distribution agreements with major Taiwanese medical software distributors, including Chili Enterprise and Progressive Group, last year. CEO Shin Dong-hoon of Healron said, "We will continue to work towards obtaining additional approvals from the Taiwan FDA for other products in the future," adding that "this year is going to be a year of remarkable revenue achievements in the Taiwanese market."
GeoYoung's hospital IT solutions subsidiary, Foscigate, announced on the 23rd that it has newly supplied an "AI Metahuman Kiosk" to Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital. This intelligent smart device combines AI human response services with existing kiosks that support hospital administrative tasks. The AI human, which possesses a real human-like appearance and voice, provides digital services that accurately and kindly guide users through various administrative tasks such as registration, payment, prescription, and certificate issuance on the kiosk screen. The kiosk hardware from Foscigate incorporates AI human technology from the generative AI company Plunit.
SK bioscience announced on the 23rd that it has signed a joint sales and distribution contract for the RSV preventive antibody injection "Beyfortus" and the hepatitis A vaccine "Abraxane" with Sanofi's Korean branch for infants and young children. The contract period lasts until the end of next year, with possible extensions based on mutual agreement. Last year, they entered a distribution agreement with Sanofi for a mixed vaccine for pediatric DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) and four other vaccines, which has now expanded to cover new products.
GC Cell announced on the 23rd that it successfully held a symposium in Jakarta, Indonesia, in collaboration with Bifarma, a leading stem cell therapy company in Indonesia. This symposium was organized to share the mechanism, prescription experience, and clinical cases of GC Cell's anti-cancer immune cell therapy, ImmuneCell-LC, and through active discussions with local oncology medical staff, increased product credibility. The company noted that this was significant as it was the first overseas launch symposium for a domestic cell therapy.
Lunit announced on the 23rd that the results of a study predicting treatment efficacy for HER2-positive metastatic colorectal cancer patients were published in the international journal "Journal of Clinical Oncology Precision Oncology." This study was led by a research team led by Takayuki Yoshino, M.D., from the Eastern Japan National Cancer Center. Using Lunit SCOPE HER2, the treatment effects were analyzed for 30 HER2-positive metastatic colorectal cancer patients, yielding an objective response rate (ORR) of 42.1% among patients with more than 50% of HER2-positive tumor cells. This rate is higher than the 26.7% ORR predicted using the existing HER2 immunohistochemistry method by pathologists.
Bioconda, a bio corporation, announced on the 23rd that it has completed the registration of a Chinese patent for the oral non-narcotic analgesic VVZ-2471 and its derivatives, which are being developed for pain and addiction treatment. This patent marks the third registration following the United States and South Africa. Currently, review processes are in progress in other major countries. The patent secures exclusive rights within China based on the superior analgesic efficacy and distinctiveness of VVZ-2471 compared to existing compounds and includes protections for related compounds. VVZ-2471 is an oral new drug candidate discovered through Bioconda's own multi-target drug development technology. Data confirm its efficacy for pain relief as well as treatment effects for narcotic addiction. The company is conducting clinical research to develop it as a treatment for neuropathic pain in Korea and for narcotic addiction in the United States.
Peptron announced on the 23rd that it has received a patent from the Australian Patent Office for a long-acting injection formulation containing semaglutide as its main component that lasts more than one month. This patent pertains to the long-acting injection formulation of semaglutide, which is the main component of Peptron's diabetes and obesity treatment candidate "PT403", a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist class drug. Peptron has applied for patents in over 20 countries, including South Korea, the United States, Europe, and Japan, with Australia being the first to complete registration.
AbbVie Korea held an in-house event titled "Understanding Migraines" on January 23 to correct misunderstandings about migraines and emphasize the importance of proactive treatment, coinciding with Headache Day. Migraines, a common primary headache, are accompanied by severe headaches along with symptoms such as nausea and phobias concerning light, sound, and smell. If symptoms significantly interfere with daily life, it is important to visit a hospital for proactive treatment, and if necessary, preventive treatments that help reduce the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraines can be considered.
Yonsei University's Gangnam Severance Hospital has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Organ Donation Agency to enhance the management of brain death organ donors and activate organ donation. The two institutions will share expertise in managing brain death organ donors and will strive to upgrade practical operations between medical institutions and organ procurement agencies. Specifically, they plan to collaborate on procedures for facilitating rapid organ donations, actively identifying brain death candidates, establishing emergency contact systems, improving donation activation programs, developing in-house organ donation protocols and training courses, and enhancing awareness of organ donation and quality management of the donation process.