As the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, the world's largest pharmaceutical and biotech investment event, opened in San Francisco, the Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization hosted the "Global IR @JPM" as a venue for consolidation between domestic and overseas biotech corporations and global investors.
Global IR @JPM is an event that champions a bidirectional investment support model (Cross IR) that consolidates overseas investment attraction for domestic biotech corporations with domestic venture capital's investments in overseas biotech corporations and overseas investors' investments in domestic corporations. Marking its sixth year, the event was held on the 13th (local time), the second day of the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference week.
The event was co-hosted by the Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization with the global law firm Sidley Austin LLP and the biotech-focused media outlet BioCentury.
Seventeen global investment firms and corporate venture capital (CVC) arms of multinational pharmaceutical companies and 10 domestic and overseas biotech corporations took part, delivering investor relations (IR) presentations and panel discussions.
Participating global investment firms and CVCs included JP Morgan, J&J Innovation, Bayer, Takeda Ventures, Kurma Partners, Foresite Capital, Averin Capital, and Mirae Asset Capital Life Science (U.S. entity). Domestic investors included Atinum Investment and Smilegate Investment.
Seven domestic biotech corporations took the stage for IR presentations. Novelty Nobility introduced its development status of antibody therapeutics targeting immune diseases, cancer, and eye diseases, and Neuracle Science presented its pipeline of therapies for intractable diseases of the central and sensory nervous systems. Shaperon outlined its immunotherapy development strategy based on its GPCR19 inflammasome modulation platform and NanoMab antibody technology, while SelectSyn explained the status of its development of immuno-oncology and anti-inflammatory therapies using its in-house antibody engineering platform.
SOLUM Healthcare presented an AI-based early cancer diagnosis solution using Raman analysis technology, CBiomex introduced radiopharmaceutical development based on peptide discovery technology, and EVERX introduced AI-based musculoskeletal rehabilitation software medical devices.
Three overseas biotech corporations centered in North America also joined the presentations. Canada's 3C Therapeutics presented therapeutics developed using antibody-based targeted protein degradation technology, U.S.-based BioRevolution presented a therapy to restore muscle function for rare muscle diseases, and Canada's Domain Therapeutics presented immuno-oncology and inflammatory disease therapies targeting GPCRs.
The event also featured two panel discussions. The first focused on "global venture capital fundraising strategies for Asian biotech corporations." BioCentury Editor-in-Chief Jeff Cranmer served as moderator, and panelists included Noel Jee, partner at Novo Holdings; Jun Lee, director at Abivax, Tenaya Therapeutics, and Eledon Pharmaceuticals; and Masier Zarefaba, fund adviser at Kurma Partners.
The panelists examined Asian biotech technologies gaining prominence around the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference and the Jefferies Healthcare Conference, cross-border licensing, and the NewCo model, and shared views on the technology maturity, business structures, and global expansion strategies that Western investors value when investing directly in Asian biotech corporations. Director Jun Lee said that transaction cases between Korean biotech corporations and global pharmaceutical companies are sparking interest from overseas venture capital and emphasized the importance of existing networks and trust.
The second discussion explored "the FDA policy outlook for 2026: the regulatory landscape after MFN," addressing how global regulatory changes could affect the biotech industry. Sidley Austin partner Josh Hofheimer moderated, with partners Tory Cope, Michael Borden, and Trevor Wear participating.
The panel reviewed the FDA's policy direction for 2026, changes to the most favored nation (MFN) policy, and U.S. congressional legislative trends, including the BioSecure Act, and their impact on new drug development strategies, global business operations, and market access. Partner Trevor Wear noted that reference pricing policies could affect the global rights strategies of early-stage biotech corporations and, as Korea is included among countries referenced for U.S. drug pricing, mentioned the need to reconsider domestic rights retention and early launch strategies.