HLB said on the 4th that it has hired Yang Eun-young, former chief business officer (CBO) of CHA Bio Group, as head of HLB Group's bio business development division (president).
The company will push a strategic shift from a research and development (R&D)-centered approach to a commercialization-centered approach by bringing in a global pharmaceutical and biotech business development (BD) expert. Based on HLB Group's key bio pipelines, President Yang will oversee technology out-licensing and in-licensing, co-development, and strategic alliances, and will be responsible for overall commercialization strategy, including building global sales partnerships.
President Yang, a graduate of Seoul National University's College of Pharmacy, is a business development expert licensed as a pharmacist in Korea as well as in Colorado, Florida and Michigan in the United States. Yang handled product strategy and marketing at Roche Korea and Eli Lilly Korea, and worked as a pharmacist in U.S. hospitals and pharmacies, building an understanding of global markets and clinical settings.
Afterward, at Samsung Biologics, Yang led global sales, driving business development for overseas pharmaceutical companies and expanding orders. Since 2022, Yang has served as CBO of CHA Bio Group, overseeing business development for major affiliates such as CHA Biotech, CHA Vaccine Research Institute, and CMG Pharmaceutical.
This hire is interpreted as a move to enhance the global commercialization potential of the group's new drug pipelines and to strengthen a commercialization strategy that carries through from approval to market entry and revenue generation. It also signals an intention to build an integrated business development framework that goes beyond tech out-licensing to encompass global sales, supply chains, and market access strategies.
In particular, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval timelines set for the Rivoceranib-Camrelizumab combination therapy in July and for Rilafugratinib in September, the importance of the business development strategy is growing.
HLB Group Vice Chairman for strategy and planning Moon Jeong-hwan said, "As approvals for our key pipelines come into view, this is a critical moment to connect research achievements to actual business results," adding, "President Yang will contribute to advancing our commercialization strategy and expanding global collaboration based on the experience built at global pharmaceutical companies and domestic biotech firms."