Samsung Biologics announced on the 10th that it will participate in the pharmaceutical and biotech networking event "DCAT Week 2025" to be held in New York from March 17 to 20 (local time). Excluding the year 2020 when the event was not held due to COVID-19, Samsung Biologics has participated in DCAT Week for ten consecutive times since 2016. CEO John Lim, who is attending DCAT Week for the third consecutive year since 2023, will discuss strategic partnerships with key industry figures. Samsung Biologics will set up a dedicated meeting room in the main location of the venue and conduct over 50 business meetings with global pharmaceutical corporations. On the 20th, it will also participate as a sponsor in the main dinner event with global contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) including Lonza and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Lunit announced on the 10th that the results of a large-scale multicenter prospective study using its mammography AI analysis solution "Lunit Insight MMG" have been published in the international journal "Nature Communications." This study is the world's first large-scale prospective study validating the effectiveness of AI in a single-reader environment where a radiologist interprets mammograms alone. The study compared the results of mammography readings performed solely by breast imaging specialists and those using AI, with a focus on 24,543 women aged 40 and over who underwent national cancer screening mammography. As a result, the cancer detection rate (CDR) when using AI increased by 13.8%, showing 5.7 cases per 1,000 compared to 5.0 cases per 1,000 when AI was not used. Notably, the recall rate (RR) did not change, meaning that the use of AI can enhance breast cancer detection rates without unnecessary recalls, the company explained.
FutureChem announced on the 10th that it has submitted an application for domestic Phase 3 clinical trials of its developing prostate cancer treatment FC705. This Phase 3 study will target patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The efficacy and safety of the combination of the existing standard therapy and FC705 will be compared to using the existing standard therapy alone. The trial will involve a total of 94 patients across seven hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, and will evaluate efficacy and safety through metrics such as radiological progression-free survival (rPFS), overall response rate (ORR), and disease control rate (DCR).
Huons announced on the 10th that its menopause probiotic brand "Elubi Menolacto" has officially entered the market through "Kurly" with three product lines. This brand represents a leading menopause probiotic product aimed at women's health. It utilizes "Lactobacillus acidophilus YT1," an individually recognized ingredient for functional probiotics in menopausal women, which is the first of its kind in Korea. "Lactobacillus acidophilus YT1" has been recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for its functional properties in menopause and gut health. The products sold through Kurly include "Menolacto Premium (30-day supply)," "Menolacto Premium (90-day supply)," and "Menolacto Premium Ginkgo (30-day supply)." Huons is also launching a special event for Kurly customers, offering an additional 12-day supply for purchases of "Elubi Menolacto Ginkgo Premium (30-day supply)."
OSANG Healthcare announced on the 10th that it has signed a global distribution contract for "DANG-CURAC" the country's first blood sugar management probiotic with Yuhan Corporation. Consequently, OSANG Healthcare will distribute the product and have recognized sales rights in overseas markets. DANG-CURAC is a probiotic health supplement developed from the L.plantarum HAC01 strain after more than ten years of research. Since its launch in April 2023, it has achieved sales exceeding 12 billion won within just six months and over 50 billion won in cumulative sales to date. OSANG Healthcare, a domestic in vitro diagnostic specialist, has chosen the overseas sales of health functional products as one of its new business strategies for improving its business structure. The company expects stable results in a short period through its global distribution network, which spans over 100 countries and 140 partners.
Daewoong Pharmaceutical and RP Bio, a joint venture with U.S.-based Alphschema, announced on the 10th that they have achieved initial sales of over 6.5 million units of Yuhan Corporation's "Magbimax soft capsule" just one month after its official launch and have signed additional supply contracts. The "Magbimax" produced exclusively by RP Bio is the first soft capsule formulation in Korea to contain four types of magnesium (magnesium oxide, magnesium aspartate, magnesium glycerophosphate, magnesium citrate) and is a premium product of the Magbi series, which is the nation's leading magnesium supplement brand.
ToolGen announced on the 10th that it has signed a joint research agreement with KT&G to develop high-value tobacco correction bodies using gene correction technology. This research contract solidifies a collaboration established last May and focuses on developing correction bodies that reduce specific component levels, enhance flavor, and produce high-value protein-producing plants using gene editing technology. The two companies plan to develop new genetic resources and collaborate on commercialization through joint research over the next three years.
GC Wellbeing announced on the 10th that it held a luncheon symposium on "OnePrep 1.38 Acid" at the 45th Korean Society of Gastroenterology Spring Academic Conference in collaboration with health pharmaceuticals. OnePrep 1.38 Acid is a bowel cleansing agent taken before undergoing colonoscopy. It has improved medication adherence by reducing dosage and frequency while enhancing flavor. Professor Lee Jong-hun from Dong-A University Hospital presented the advantages of OnePrep 1.38 Acid and improvements in patient adherence at the symposium. According to clinical trial results, over 80% of respondents reported no difficulties during the intake process, and 98.4% expressed willingness to reuse it.
Sijibio, a subsidiary of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, announced on the 10th that it has been selected as an exemplary taxpayer at the 59th National Taxpayer Day ceremony held at the Yongsan Tax Office in Seoul. Exemplary taxpayers are selected for their diligent tax payments and contributions to the community and national economy, with certificates presented. Sijibio noted that this award recognizes its contributions to diligent tax payment, development of the bio industry, and revitalization of the local economy. Companies that receive this commendation from the tax office will be exempt from tax audits for two years starting from the selection date and will receive one year of tariff audit exemptions.
PeopleBio announced on the 10th that it has entered into a strategic partnership with SynLab, Europe's largest testing center and a contract testing organization, to supply Alzheimer's blood tests to the European market. After completing a joint clinical evaluation with SynLab last October, PeopleBio secured a product supply agreement and has been supplying "Alzón Plus," the export version of the Alzheimer's blood test. The company plans to establish an ecosystem to check and continuously manage brain health through the Alzón test and has also engaged in extensive online and offline marketing activities in Hungary. It intends to expand to surrounding European countries such as the Czech Republic, Germany, and Italy in the future.
Healthcare company Huino announced on the 10th that it has been recognized by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service as a reimbursement target for "monitoring via remote heartbeat technology (EX871)" and has obtained health insurance fees. The wearable electrocardiogram monitoring solution "MEMO Cue," which obtained the insurance fee, is a complex medical device consisting of "MEMO Patch" for measuring patient heart rhythms, "MEMO Link" for transmitting measurement signals to hospital cloud servers, and a patient comprehensive monitoring system. MEMO Cue, equipped with Huino's own artificial intelligence (AI) technology, helps to provide significant information related to abnormal signs by analyzing vital signs of hospitalized patients in real-time, enabling prompt medical responses.
The Korea Bio Association announced on the 10th that it has signed a business agreement with the digital merger and acquisition (M&A) platform Pivot Bridge to respond to the M&A needs of its members and provide related mediation support. Accordingly, the two parties will conduct a special promotion for association members utilizing Pivot Bridge's digital M&A platform and plan to quickly respond to M&A demands from bio and healthcare corporations. The association will actively cooperate to identify member companies' M&A demands and facilitate corporate M&A execution through the platform, while Pivot Bridge will handle system integrations and platform interlinking. Additionally, both parties plan to strengthen security and efficiency in the M&A process and actively support member companies with regards to their M&A demands and related service advice through a non-identifiable manner and by utilizing an interface (API).
The Konkuk University Hospital Sports Medicine Center announced on the 10th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Daegu Sports Science Center on February 28 to provide medical support for the Daegu city athlete team. Under this agreement, the two institutions will operate medical support and duty support programs for athlete injuries. Professors Jeong Seok-won, Lee Dong-won, and Cho Seung-ik from Konkuk University will serve as commissioners for the medical duty support from the Daegu Sports Science Center. They aim to assist Daegu city athletes in recovering quickly from injuries to return to competitions and will conduct training and lectures for injury prevention as well as offer consultation on research and programs.
Jaseng Hospital of Traditional Korean Medicine announced on the 10th that it participated as the only medical institution from Asia at the "International Conference on Integrative Medicine and Public Health (ACIMH)" and presented research results. ACIMH was established in 1999 in Michigan, USA, by eight academic medical institutions. Jaseng Hospital, which was approved as the only formal member of the conference among Asian medical institutions last year, presented research results on integrative medicine at the main session of this conference. Dr. Lee Ye-seul from the Jaseng Hospital's Spine and Joint Research Institute presented a study on "the reduction of medication use in breast cancer patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) after acupuncture treatment" and noted that acupuncture treatment is effective in reducing pain medication usage for breast cancer patients experiencing CIPN.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced on the 10th that it will open a course for specialized practical training in biological safety "Biological Safety Level 3 (BL3) Facility Specialized Practical Training Course" to train experts in the field of biological safety. Since opening the first BL3 practical training dedicated facility in the country last February, the agency has been providing mandatory legal training and educational sessions for managers and users handling high-risk pathogens. This new educational course is expected to enhance response capabilities in various biological safety-related situations, departing from the existing theory-based curriculum to become more practice-oriented. The specialized practical training course will take place over three days, with participation from both internal and external experts of the agency. Applications for the first training session will be accepted from the 10th to the 23rd of this month, with the course running from the 31st of this month to the 2nd of next month. Managers and researchers who have completed basic training on BL3 facilities at designated biological safety educational institutions can apply.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on the 10th that it held a "Discussion with the Digital Medical Device Industry" meeting at the Korean Medical Device Industry Association conference room in Gangnam, Seoul. This meeting included participation from the Korean Medical Device Industry Association, Kakao Healthcare, Coreline Soft, AITrix, Welt, Medtronic Korea, GE Healthcare Korea, and Olympus Korea. The Ministry discussed the current status of the new regulatory framework for AI-based digital medical products under the "Digital Medical Product Act," which was enacted in January.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 10th that it has held the launch ceremony for the "3rd Health and Welfare Ministry 2030 Advisory Group" at the Ministry of Welfare conference room in Sejong. The 3rd advisory group was selected through public recruitment in January, consisting of 14 members, including 1 member reappointed from the previous group and 15 newly selected individuals under the leadership of Director General Park Jeong-jae. The advisory group will be divided into health and medical affairs and social welfare affairs to carry out roles such as monitoring major policies and providing recommendations, as well as conveying youth public opinions.