Seoul National University Hospital announced on the 10th that it has introduced the latest linear accelerator capable of performing rapid and accurate radiation therapy without marking the patient's body. The newly introduced linear accelerator 'Versa HD' can accurately locate the treatment area without marking or tattooing the patient's body, providing excellent convenience for treatment. The radiation dose is up to 2200MU (monitor units) per minute, which is more than four times higher than existing cancer treatment machines, enabling high-dose radiation treatments. This means that treatment durations can be reduced compared to before, and side effects from radiation exposure can also be minimized. Accelerator treatments deliver radiation to the patient's body from various angles, which may expose normal tissues near the cancerous areas to radiation. Using the Versa HD, the radiation shape and dose can be adjusted to minimize exposure.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that it will select four metropolitan cities and provinces to participate in the 'Pilot Project for Supporting the Operation of Essential Regional Doctors' from the 11th to the 7th of next month. This project aims to support doctors to work in essential medical fields of regional healthcare institutions at the level of general hospitals or higher as part of primary healthcare reform. The four selected local governments will each receive support for 24 specialists to work as essential regional doctors. Support from local governments will be received until the 7th of next month, and the work of essential regional doctors will officially begin in July.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that it will hold a '2025 Policy Briefing on Medical Products' at the Seoul Central Post Office on the 20th. This briefing will discuss major policy directions regarding medical products, amendments to pharmacy regulations, management methods for manufacturing and distribution of medical products this year, and the self-introduction system for medical product Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). The materials presented during the briefing will be made public on the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's website after the event concludes. The Ministry hopes that this briefing will enhance the industry's understanding of medical products safety management policies and strengthen communication.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that it will hold a 'Forum on Patient Medical Information Integration Multi-Omics-Based Personalized Drug Response Prediction Evaluation Technology Research' at Korea University Hospital's Biomedical Research Institute on the 14th. This forum will feature expert presentations on the importance of establishing hospital-based cohorts in Korea, the current status of genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics research, and the prospects and application of clinical big data analysis, along with panel discussions on the direction of developing personalized drug response prediction evaluation technology. The Ministry expects this forum will promote research on personalized drug response prediction evaluation technology and enable the development of individual drug response prediction evaluation technologies using big data.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that it has amended the 'Regulations on Medical Device Items and Item Grades' to establish a new category for medical ozone sterilizers and has revised the terminology. Medical ozone sterilizers have been categorized under a medium category but are now assigned a sub-category together with 'Dental Implant Guide Fixing Screws.' To tidy up the terminology, unnecessary phrases have been deleted and 13 terms, such as changing 'epilepsy' to 'seizures,' have been amended. Additionally, the infusion monitoring regulator has been adjusted to grade 2 to align the regulations with international standards. More detailed information can be found on the Ministry's website.
GC Biopharma announced it presented developments in the treatment of lysosomal storage disorders (LSD) at the 'WORLD Symposium 2025' held in San Diego, California, from March 3 to 7. The WORLD Symposium 2025 is an international academic event designed for experts in lysosomal diseases to share the latest research accomplishments and explore new treatments. At this symposium, GC Biopharma presented the preclinical results of its LSD treatments 'GC2126A' and 'GC1130A.' GC2126A showed more than a 70% reduction in the accumulation of beta-galactosidase, which induces GM1 gangliosidosis when administered for seven days. GC1130A is still confirming its effectiveness for Type A Sandhoff disease, which currently has no approved treatment.
Daewoong announced the start of recruitment for its 'Growth Internship' program linked to employment in the first half of 2025. The Growth Internship program aims to recruit talented individuals with significant potential and support young people's employment experiences while providing an opportunity to accumulate knowledge related to their roles. Recruitment areas include all institutional sectors, such as sales, marketing, research, production, and management. The participants will engage in activities for six months, working on major projects with mentors. They can enhance their work capabilities through 'development feedback,' identifying areas for improvement while gaining practical experience. The recruitment briefing will be held on the 10th, with a question-and-answer session featuring current employees from various roles on the 12th and 13th. Applications for the internship opened on the 5th and will continue until the 16th.
Korea University Hospital announced that Professor Kim Sang-min of the Department of Orthopedics received a commendation from the Minister of Health and Welfare at the regular general meeting of the Korean Medical Association in 2025. Professor Kim is recognized for his leadership in developing new treatments in the fields of hip joints and artificial joints while serving as the secretary of the Korean Orthopedic Association. He is especially noted for his customized treatment strategies that enhance the precision of artificial joint surgery and accelerate patient recovery. Professor Kim stated, "I am grateful to have my efforts recognized in the fields of research and treatment for hip joints. I will continue to seek precise and effective treatment methods to improve the quality of life for patients."
Huons Group announced the recruitment of participants for its open innovation competition 'Adventure Challenge 2nd Phase.' The Adventure Challenge aims to contribute new value by participating in the commercialization process of venture companies and startups, as part of Huons Group's open innovation initiative. This year, the second phase will target companies in fields such as metabolic diseases, anticancer drugs and rare diseases, retinal diseases, aesthetics, drug delivery, and new formulations, with a focus on businesses established within the last 10 years. Selected companies through document reviews and face-to-face evaluations will receive stage-wise equity investments and benefits such as joint research and development with Huons Group and free residency at the Gwacheon Dongam Research Institute. Recruitment guidelines and required documents can be checked on Huons Global's website, with applications accepted via email until the end of next month.
Daewoong Bio reported that its brain function improvement drug 'Glytamine' containing the ingredient choline alphoscerate generated sales of 129.3 billion won last year. This figure is a 22% increase compared to the previous year, maintaining its position as the top-selling drug among similar products. The main ingredient of Glytamine, choline alphoscerate, promotes the synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays a central role in cognitive functions such as memory and learning. It is widely used for diseases related to cognitive decline based on its long-proven effectiveness through prescriptions and minimal side effects. In November of last year, researchers from Bundang Seoul National University Hospital published study results highlighting the cognitive improvement capabilities of choline alphoscerate. In that study, patients who took choline alphoscerate for six months showed an average increase of about 3.7 points in the Mini-Mental State Examination scores compared to those who did not take it. Significant improvements were also noted in the quality of life index measuring physical health based on four criteria.
HLB Therapeutics announced that its new drug candidate for treating neurotrophic keratitis (NK), 'RGN-259,' has successfully recruited participants for clinical trials. Currently, two phase 3 clinical trials related to RGN-259 are ongoing. One of these trials, being conducted in Europe, started recruiting patients in June 2023 and registered its first patient in August of the same year. Meeting the target patient number was achieved in about 20 months, four months earlier than initially planned. RGN-259 is an eye drop formulation that can be carried at room temperature in a single-use container, improving patient convenience with a short dosing period of four weeks. The only existing NK treatment, oxervate, has a longer dosing period of eight weeks and requires refrigeration, causing significant inconvenience.
Korea University Medical Center announced that it has signed an agreement with Philips to jointly research AI-based diagnostic technologies for neurological and cardiovascular diseases. The research will be conducted over five years, from 2025 to 2029, with the contract signed by Professor Park Hong-seok, head of the Medical Intelligence Information Center at Korea University Medical Center, and Professor Joo Hyung-jun, head of the Medical Data Science Research Team. Under this agreement, the two institutions will collaboratively develop early diagnostic technologies for complex diseases such as heart and brain conditions and AI healthcare solutions. The collaboration is expected to enable precise patient-specific diagnosis and treatment through the combination of Philips' clinical data analysis capabilities and Korea University Medical Center's expertise in big data, deep learning, imaging, and biometric signal analysis.
ASTERASYS announced the launch of its new HIFU lifting product 'CoolSonic,' which applies unique cooling technology. CoolSonic is designed to effectively control the skin temperature throughout the procedure and can deliver higher energy output compared to existing products. ASTERASYS plans to seek FDA approval for CoolSonic, alongside its monopolar RF product 'CoolPhase' launched last year.
Yongin Severance Hospital announced that Professor Yoo Joon-sang of the Department of Neurology received the Progress and Innovation Award at the '2025 International Stroke Conference' held on the 7th in Los Angeles, California. Professor Yoo, along with Professor Heo Ji-hee from Severance Hospital, discovered coagulation factors that influence the occurrence of strokes in cancer patients last year. This research drew attention as it could explain the high likelihood of stroke occurrence in cancer patients and lead to new prevention and treatment methods. Professor Yoo ranked second among three awardees and received a $2,000 prize (approximately 2.9 million won) along with a trophy.
VORONOI announced it will participate in the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR 2025) annual meeting, held from April 25 to 30 (local time) in Chicago, Illinois, where it will present poster presentations. This event will showcase interim results of a phase 1a clinical trial of the non-small cell lung cancer treatment 'VRN11.' The company noted that VRN11 shows superior efficacy against atypical mutations and complex variations compared to existing drugs. Clinical trials targeting patients who do not respond to current standard therapies are being conducted in Korea and Taiwan starting March 2024.
IL-DONG Bio Science announced it participated in '2025 Vitafoods India' held in Mumbai, India, from the 5th to the 7th. During the event, the company showcased its capabilities in functional materials, four-layer coating processing technologies, probiotics, and postbiotics. The company reported that it sought partnerships and business alliances with foreign companies for market development.