Lunit announced on the 27th that it will present the results of its joint research with AstraZeneca at the 2025 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) to be held in Chicago, U.S., from the 25th to the 30th of next month. The two companies have been conducting research utilizing artificial intelligence to predict mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Until now, tests for determining the presence of EGFR mutations had not been sufficiently conducted due to long testing times and a shortage of medical resources. Therefore, the two companies applied Lunit's AI pathology analysis solution, 'Lunit Scope Genotype Predictor,' to data from over 12,000 NSCLC patients collected from multinational medical institutions in the U.S., China, and South Korea to develop a mutation prediction solution with improved performance compared to the AI models previously used for EGFR mutation testing. Research results showed that the mutation detection accuracy of Lunit's AI solution is 0.880 in the area under the curve (AUC) — a significant improvement over the previous AI model's 0.723.
Ildong Pharmaceutical Group's new drug development specialist, Idean, announced on the 27th that it will present the research results on its newly added anti-cancer drug candidates at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), which will be held in Chicago, U.S., from the 25th to the 30th of next month. The new drug candidates being unveiled include 'ID12023,' an anti-cancer drug targeting cancer stem cells; 'ID12241,' an anti-cancer drug targeting KRAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colon cancer; 'ID11916,' a treatment for refractory prostate cancer; and 'ID12401,' an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) equipped with a PARP1 inhibitor.
HLB Life Science's subsidiary, HLB Life Science R&D, announced on the 29th that it has appointed Vice President Kim Yeon-tae as CEO following a recent shareholders' meeting and board of directors. Kim is the first female CEO of the HLB Group. Kim graduated from the College of Pharmacy at Seoul National University and obtained her master's and doctoral degrees in pharmacology from the same university. She has held positions as an executive director at Daewoong Pharmaceutical's development division and as an executive director at JW Pharmaceutical's new drug development division, as well as deputy director of the clinical trial center at Bundang CHA Hospital and executive director of clinical development at Otsuka Pharmaceutical in Korea. Kim joined the HLB Group in 2023. She has been overseeing new drug development while serving as vice president of the biotechnology division at HLB Life Science and is currently leading the preparation of a filing application for approval of a first-line treatment for liver cancer using a combination of ribociclib and camrelizumab.
Yuyu Pharma announced on the 27th that its CEO, Yoo Won-sang, has successfully been reappointed. The company confirmed Yoo's reappointment at its 85th shareholders' meeting held that day at its headquarters in Jecheon, Chungbuk. Yoo is the grandson of the founder of Yuyu Pharma and the eldest son of Chairman Yoo Seung-pil. The meeting also passed resolutions on the approval of financial statements, the establishment of consolidated financial statements, changes to the articles of association, and the appointment of independent director Choi Kang-seok.
JLK announced on the 27th that its AI solution 'JLK-FLAIR,' which supports the diagnosis and prognosis prediction of stroke, has received approval from the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) under the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. The product is an AI-based solution that analyzes and visualizes high-signal intensity areas of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) flair and measures the volume of these areas. MRI flair is a type of MRI imaging that allows for clearer visualization of white matter lesions. It is used for evaluating treatment appropriateness in patients with acute ischemic stroke and for quantitative analysis of white matter degeneration, predicting cognitive decline and dementia risk.
ENCell announced on the 27th that it has signed an additional contract for contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) for advanced regenerative medicine clinical research with Asan Medical Center in Seoul. Since 2023, ENCell has been supplying cells related to clinical research and advanced regenerative medicine to Asan Medical Center. The company stated, "This contract allows for continuous and stable cell supply," and added that it will expedite further collaboration with major medical institutions to proactively enter the advanced regenerative medicine market.
SillaJen announced on the 27th that its anti-cancer virus platform 'SJ-600 series' has successfully been registered with a domestic patent. The company received notification of the patent registration for the anti-cancer virus platform SJ-607 from the Korean Intellectual Property Office on the 26th. SJ-607 is the foundational anti-cancer virus platform for the pipelines being developed by SillaJen. The main patent content is a technology that maintains stable anti-cancer activity even when administered intravenously. SJ-607 expresses the complement regulatory protein CD55 on the virus's outer membrane, allowing the anti-cancer virus to survive stably in the bloodstream. This enables direct drug delivery not only to solid tumors but also to metastatic cancers through intravenous administration.
CLASSYS announced on the 27th that it has received approval for the clinical trial plan (IDE) for its non-invasive high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) device, Ultraformer, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This marks the first IDE approval for a domestic cosmetic medical device in the U.S., creating a stepping stone for a successful launch of Ultraformer in the American market. The company plans to conduct local clinical trials involving 273 subjects at five hospitals across five states in the U.S. this year. FDA approval for Ultraformer is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027.
GC Genome, a liquid biopsy and clinical genomics company, announced on the 27th that it has received preliminary listing approval from the Korea Exchange. Established as a subsidiary of GC Biopharma in 2013, GC Genome is a leading company in clinical genomics analysis, providing customized treatment solutions through disease diagnosis and prediction. It has built a diverse portfolio of more than 300 types of personalized gene tests covering the entire life cycle from fetuses to the elderly. Major services include health examination tests, prenatal and newborn tests, precision cancer diagnosis tests, and precision diagnosis tests for genetic rare diseases. GC Genome achieved an A, A rating in the technical evaluation for a KOSDAQ listing last year. The funds raised from this listing will be used for research and development aimed at expanding cancer types and stages.
Gachon University Gil Medical Center has been designated as 'Phase 1 Accredited Research Center' in the evaluation results by the Ministry of Health and Welfare for research-focused hospitals, becoming the first hospital in Korea designated as a research-focused hospital for the fourth consecutive time as announced on the 27th. Gil Medical Center was designated as a research-focused hospital in April 2013, the first year of the project, and has been re-designated in 2016, 2019, and again this year as 'Phase 1 Accredited Research Center.' Additionally, it was selected as one of the top three core national designated research-centered hospitals in 2014. This latest accreditation includes a total of 21 medical institutions, including the existing ten designated hospitals.
Godeok Guro Hospital announced on the 27th that Professor Min Kyung-hoon of the Department of Pulmonology has been awarded a commendation from the director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency for his contributions to national tuberculosis prevention. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the tuberculosis bacillus, primarily affecting the lungs but can spread to other organs as well. Professor Min is dedicated to clinical practice for the early diagnosis and effective treatment of tuberculosis patients. In particular, he has contributed to public health by applying optimization measures for tuberculosis prevention and treatment and personalized treatment strategies in clinical practice, participating in the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) tuberculosis management project.
Seoul Boramae Medical Center announced on the 27th that it has been operating a 'Parkinson's Rare Diseases Center' since last month, dedicated to patients with degenerative and rare intractable neurological diseases. The center is responsible for research and treatment of Parkinson's disease and other rare intractable and neurodegenerative diseases. It is actively promoting the latest clinical trials to provide optimized treatment methods for patients, working to find ways to slow disease progression or alleviate symptoms through collaboration with multiple institutions, both domestic and international.
The National Health Research Institute of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced on the 27th that it will open approximately 10,000 human resources, including chronic cerebrovascular and sarcoma resources, through the National Central Human Resource Bank. The human resources being disclosed this time will be used in research related to aging and senile diseases, which is of high public interest, as well as air pollution and nutrition studies. Human resources from 1,174 individuals previously disclosed through the Chronic Cerebrovascular Biobank Consortium project are currently utilized in 13 chronic disease research projects such as Alzheimer's and dementia. This time, an additional 128 individuals will be disclosed, bringing the total to 1,252 individuals. Human resources can be applied for via the National Central Human Resource Bank's website and will be provided to researchers after review by the bank's distribution committee.
The Food and Drug Safety Evaluation Institute under the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on the 27th that it will hold an 'International Forum on Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Technology Development Research' at the Drug Abuse Prevention Headquarters in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. This forum will include discussions on recent research trends in drug addiction rehabilitation technology, the current state of drug addiction rehabilitation in Korea, and treatment and management methods for substance use disorders by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety expects this forum to contribute to activating research to resolve drug addiction issues in the country.
The Korea Health Industry Development Institute announced on the 27th that it held an 'Overseas Medical Export Counseling Conference' at the 'Medical Korea 2025' event held at COEX in Seoul on the 20th and 21st. This conference had 15 overseas companies from eight countries and 38 domestic companies participating in a total of 123 business meetings. As a result, five export contracts were signed, amounting to a total of $3.17 million. Lim Young-i, head of the overseas medical export team at the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, stated, "This event was centered on results, directly leading to substantial export contracts beyond mere networking. We plan to continue supporting the expansion of exports and diversification of global entry."