Kolon Life Science said on the 26th that it has established "phosphoramidite," a key raw material for new ribonucleic acid (RNA) therapeutics, and will move to expand its polymer pharmaceuticals business.
The company unveiled phosphoramidite for the first time at TIDES EUROPE 2025, a European RNA-focused conference held Nov. 11–13 (local time) in Basel, Switzerland. In line with the surge in demand for RNA-based therapeutic development, the company plans to expand its active pharmaceutical ingredient production capacity and accelerate securing global partnerships.
Phosphoramidite is a high value-added raw material essential for synthesizing RNA therapeutics such as small interfering RNA (siRNA) and antisense oligonucleotides (ASO). In particular, structurally modified phosphoramidite increases the stability of ASO drugs and strengthens resistance to nucleases, improving the duration of efficacy.
Kolon Life Science is building a next-generation phosphoramidite supply system based on its existing active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing technology. It is currently developing a switchable production process by introducing a continuous manufacturing system, and based on this, plans to expand its polymer pharmaceuticals portfolio and global client base.
The global RNA therapeutics market is growing rapidly. According to market research firm Evaluate Pharma, the market size is expected to grow from about $4.4 billion (6.4539 trillion won) last year to $26.6 billion (39.0169 trillion won) in 2030.
Kolon Life Science, in addition to its biopharmaceutical capabilities, is also maintaining solid performance in its chemical business supplying APIs and specialty chemical materials. As results in the chemical institutional sector have improved markedly this year, the company has secured balance in its dual-track structure of bio and chemical businesses and strengthened stability. Based on this, it plans to enhance its strategic position within the global supply chain for RNA raw materials.
Chief Executive Kim Sun-jin of Kolon Life Science said, "RNA-based therapeutics will be the fastest-growing field over the next few years," adding, "With stable production infrastructure and high quality and cost-effectiveness, we will further expand collaboration with global clients."