The chain blockbuster deals Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. landed this year, including the $4.1 billion prospect on exclusive out-licensing agreement with Sanofi for long-acting diabetes treatment, has drawn attention to research and development power of Korean pharmaceuticals companies.

Local pharmaceutical companies that mostly have been profiting from emulating already-successful drugs have been pushing R&D drive and the industry and markets are closely watching where the next jackpot would come from.

Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical, which accounts for 19 out of 323 clinically approved drug prototypes by the local Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in the first half of this year, is ready to test dyslipidemia treatment CKD-519 and anemia treatment CKD-11101. The pharmaceutical invested 40.9 billion won in R&D, which amounts to 14.2 percent of its sales in the first half.

While Hanmi has been seeking out-licensing foray, Green Cross Corporation is tapping the global market with its commercialized products. It is awaiting the second phase clinical trial result from the United States on the hunter syndrome treatment it already released at home. Once approved, the treatment will be available in the U.S. in two to three years time.

Dong-A ST is carrying out clinical trial of its pneumonia treatment and selling its antibiotics in the U.S. and Germany. An anti-cancer drug being developed by JW Pharmaceutical Corporation is under clinical trial at the U.S. Although the original design is to treat acute myelogenous leukemia, but the drug is said to be effective for treating multiple myeloma and lymphoma as well.

Local pharmaceutical players are also making headway in the biosimilar sector. Samsung Bioepis presented the clinical trial results of its first biosimilar for rheumatoid arthritis at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in San Francisco on Saturday. The copy product has been proven to be as effective and safe as the original through test trials. ‘Brenzys’ is Samsung’s first biosimilar drug which gained approval from local heath authority in September.

By Lee Dong-in, Won Ho-sub

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