CRO Company EPS Korea Starts Anew as a Korea-Japan Joint Venture

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] EPS International Korea (EPSIK), established as a 100% subsidiary of the Japanese clinical trial contract research organization (CRO) company EPS, is reborn as a Korea-Japan joint venture.

EPSIK announced on the 28th that it will newly launch as a Korea-Japan joint CRO by appointing Yoon Seok-min as the new CEO as of the 25th.

CEO Yoon is recognized as a pioneer in the domestic private CRO industry, having founded DreamCIS, Korea's first private CRO, in 2000, and ADM Korea in 2003. He currently serves as the chairman of the Korea Clinical CRO Association.

CEO Yoon stated, "Although native CROs are making various efforts to enter the global market, the reality is that they face difficulties due to a lack of international standards, overseas clinical experience, and overseas infrastructure. We will do our best to make this joint venture a successful model for the birth of a Korean-style global CRO and to grow together with Korean pharmaceutical companies planning overseas clinical trials."

EPSIK explained that through this joint venture transition, CEO Yoon has become the largest shareholder with a majority stake (50.1%), strengthening financial stability through capital expansion. It is analyzed that CEO Yoon recently sold all his shares in ADM Korea through an off-hours block trade and used the secured funds to acquire shares in EPSIK.

The company plans to expand its capabilities throughout the entire Asian region in addition to Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, Australia, and the United States, where it currently has clinical infrastructure.

Choi Yoon-joo, Executive Director and Head of Clinical Operations (CO), said, "Based on EPS's global infrastructure and our employees' extensive clinical execution experience, we will conduct clinical management that minimizes risks and provide satisfactory services to domestic and international sponsors."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.