HK Innoen, a domestic pharmaceutical company, announced its entry into the cytogene therapy market. HK Innoen, attending the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, the world’s largest bio-event held in San Francisco, USA, from 11 to 14, challenges the development of CAR-T immune cell therapy that can treat blood cancer and lung cancer. It said on the 13th. At the same time, HK Innoen explained, “Since last year, we have built a production facility for CGT products and started to secure R&D personnel,” and said, “We are in preparation for clinical trials for CGT products.” CAR-T treatment is an immune anticancer treatment that isolates immune cells (T cells), genetically manipulates them according to the patient’s condition, and then injects them into patient cells again. It is a next-generation treatment called’cancer cell killer’ and’miracle anticancer drug’ because of its low side effects and excellent anticancer effect. The global CAR-T treatment market is expected to grow to 11 trillion won in 2025.
LG Chem also said that it will strengthen global clinical trials to develop new drugs for various metabolic diseases such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), obesity, and diabetes. LG Chem’s NASH treatment has a mechanism to inhibit the expression of’VAP-1′, a protein related to liver inflammation and fibrosis, and is undergoing phase 1 clinical trials in the United States. LG Chem plans to end phase 1 clinical trials by the first quarter of next year as there is no new drug for NASH commercially available yet. In addition, the gout treatment is scheduled to end phase 2 clinical trials in the US by the second quarter of this year. Ji-woong Sohn, head of the Life Science Business Division of LG Chem, said, “Over the past 4 years, we have expanded the number of new drug projects to more than 40 through R&D investment of about 600 billion won and all-round open innovation (open innovation).” We will secure global competitiveness of new drugs.”
Huzel, the No. 1 botulinum toxin company in Korea, announced its strategy to expand overseas markets by entering the Chinese Botox market in the first half of the year. In October of last year, the brand’Retivo’ (domestic brand Botulex) was approved for sale by the Chinese authorities. Retibo is expected to begin distribution in the Chinese market from the end of March to early April after customs clearance and quality inspection. In the first quarter of this year, Huzel applied for a marketing license to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is aiming to enter the US market for the second time as a domestic botulinum toxin product following Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s’Nabota’. It applied for a permit in Europe last June and is expecting approval by the middle of this year. An official from Huzel said, “The next three years will be the time for a quantum jump, with products being released sequentially in the Chinese, European and American markets,” he said. “We are aiming at 1 trillion won in sales in 2025.”
Genexine, which is developing a vaccine for Corona 19, introduced the anticancer drug,’persistent interleukin-7 (GX-I7)’. Genexine emphasized not only the single administration of GX-I7, but also the combined administration of existing anticancer drugs and cell therapy drugs. In addition to the three-fold negative breast cancer and solid cancer currently in clinical trials, it plans to expand its indications to glioblastoma.
JW Pharmaceutical has launched an additional global business alliance for the gout treatment’URC102′, which was exported to China in September last year.
[김병호 기자 / 정지성 기자]
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