South Korean pharmas and biotechs are ready to awe with their drug breakthroughs at the upcoming the Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in hopes for developments to potential licensing deals and partnerships.

The world’s largest pharma trade event is taking place in San Francisco on Jan. 10-13 with some 1,500 companies from 50 countries.

More than 20 Korean companies are joining the event, according to industry sources on Monday. They include Samsung Biologics, SK Pharmteco, GC Pharma, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, JW Pharmaceutical, Crystal Genomics, MedPacto, iCure, Eutilex, Genome & Company, Genuv, Seegene, Pharmabcine, AptaBio, Bioneer, Syntekabio, and LegoChem Biosciences.

Celltrion decided to skip this year after last year, focusing instead on the development of a nasal spray of Covid-19 treatment Regkirona and follow-up biosim clinical trials.

Samsung Biologics and SK Pharmteco are main speakers of the event. The two are at a leadership position in contract manufacturing for vaccines and medicines against the pandemic.

SK Pharmteco, the CMO unit of SK Group, will likely draw attention as it is the first time for SK Pharmteco to join the annual conference. SK Pharmteco is well known for CMO services for chemically synthesized drugs in diversified regions covered by SK Biotek (Korea), SK Biotek Ireland (Europe), and AMPAC (USA). The company is also expanding its reach in biologics.

Among traditional pharmaceutical companies, Hanmi Pharmaceutical will highlight its pipeline of key novel drugs such as poziotinib and belvarafenib. LG Chem plans to make a presentation about clinical development of a non-alcoholic hepatosteatosis (NASH) drug and promising pipelines of oncology drugs. JW Pharmaceutical will introduce ongoing clinical trials for gout drug URC102.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical is expected to present clinical study results on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) Fexuprazan and new antidiabetic agent Enavogliflozin.

HK inno. N will share clinical development status of GERD drug K-Cab and its pipeline of new drug candidates.

LegoChem Biosciences will announce the results of Phase 1a study of its HER2 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), and Crystal Genomics will provide update on clinical development of ivaltinostat, a novel histone deacetylase for cancer and fibrosis.

By Kim Si-gyun and Minu Kim

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