■ The combination therapy of lazertinib (brand name in Korea Leclaza), which Yuhan Corp. transferred to Johnson & Johnson (J&J), and amivantamab (Rybrevant) has been elevated to a preferred first-line treatment in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) guidelines. The NCCN NSCLC Guidelines Committee announced on the 6th (local time) a revised edition (version 1.2026) reflecting the latest clinical evidence. This indicates the most recommended first-line treatment option, based on the strongest evidence and a comprehensive consideration of effectiveness, safety, and expense effectiveness.
■ Hanmi Pharmaceutical said on the 7th it was selected as a joint research institution to participate in a new task for the "K-AI new drug development preclinical and clinical model development project" overseen by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Hanmi Pharmaceutical will participate as a joint institution in the "reverse translational research design AI software development" field led by Samsung Medical Center. The company will provide data secured through new drug research in oncology and metabolic diseases and will produce new preclinical multimodal data. To that end, it plans to actively leverage its new drug development capabilities, including cell-based experiments, animal model tissue analysis, and omics data.
■ Seegene disclosed on the 7th that, on a consolidation basis, operating profit for the third quarter of this year was 9.6 billion won, up 82.8% from a year earlier on a provisional tally. Revenue was 113.5 billion won, up 4.3% from the same period last year. Net profit was 14.6 billion won, up 737.4%.
■ Kolon TissueGene said on the 7th it obtained an Australian patent for "MIXED-CELL GENE THERAPY," a core technology related to TG-C (formerly Invossa), the world's first cell and gene therapy for osteoarthritis. This technology concerns a mixed cell composition that combines cells into which genes that express certain characteristics through trait modification have been introduced with ordinary cells, and produces specific proteins to deliver a therapeutic effect. The company is also pursuing patent registrations in the United States, Europe, China, and Japan.
■ Kukje Pharma said on the 7th it decided on a facilities investment of about 9.3 billion won to add an ophthalmic eye drop production line. The company will add an eye drop production line to expand annual output and respond stably to future market demand. Along with expanding its portfolio of artificial tears and ophthalmic disease treatments, the company plans to strengthen future competitiveness through a convergence strategy with AI-based eye disease diagnostic solutions.
■ The Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) said on the 7th it participated in "Bio-Europe 2025," Europe's largest biotech partnering event, held in Vienna, Austria, from the 3rd to the 5th, promoting the technological prowess of Korea's life and health (biohealth) corporations. KHIDI jointly operated the Korea Pavilion with the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association (KPBMA) and the Korea Institute of Toxicology (KIT), supporting the promotion of technologies by domestic corporations such as Huons, LG Chem, and Ildong Pharmaceutical. This year, more than 3,200 corporations from 60 countries took part, with about 240 from Korea, the fourth-largest contingent after the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
■ Huons Group's Huonsen said on the 7th it launched "Elubi Menolacto Origin," a premium menopausal health functional food formulated with YT1 (Lactobacillus acidophilus YT1), a probiotic for women's menopause, as a single raw ingredient. "Menolacto Origin" is a product that enhances the brand's uniqueness by using YT1, the only probiotic recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for its functionality in improving women's menopausal health, as a single raw ingredient.