'Responding to the Downturn' Total Stock Defense... Pharmaceutical Bio Seeking Breakthrough Through IR

September Pharmaceutical Bio 20 Companies Corporate Briefing
HK Innoen "K-CAB to Enter 100 Countries by 2028"
Huons Expands New Drug Trials, Facilities, and Health Supplements
Shareholder-Friendly Moves + Active Corporate Value Promotion

On the 26th, when the won-dollar exchange rate surpassed 1,420 won for the first time in about 13 years and 6 months, dealers were working in the dealing room of KB Kookmin Bank in Yeouido, Seoul. On that day, the KOSPI index opened at 2,260.80, down 29.20 points (1.28%) from the previous trading day, continuing its downward trend. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] During the month of September, 20 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies held investor relations (IR) presentations to promote their corporate value. This is interpreted as an effort to defend stock prices through shareholder-friendly actions amid adverse conditions such as the ‘king dollar’ and to introduce future growth engines.

According to the industry on the 27th, 20 pharmaceutical and biotech companies have held IR presentations so far this month. From pharmaceutical companies like HK Innoen and Huons to new drug development biotechs such as MedPacto, Bridge Biotherapeutics, Genome & Company, and CHA Biotech, as well as medical device companies like Lutronic, Classys, and Hironic, they have consecutively held IR presentations to introduce their key products, new drug pipelines, and growth strategies.

HK Innoen introduced the mid-to-long-term growth strategy for Korea’s 30th domestic new drug, ‘K-CAB,’ at an IR presentation held on the 21st. K-CAB is a potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease. Since its launch in March 2019, it has shown steady growth, surpassing 100 billion KRW in prescription sales last year. At the presentation, HK Innoen revealed a vision to expand the number of countries with technology licensing agreements for K-CAB from the current 34 to 100 by 2028 and to increase sales to 1 trillion KRW. They also outlined plans to maximize sales through indication expansion and formulation development.

HK Innoen K-CAB.

Huons, which held an IR presentation on the 1st of this month, presented its Q2 business performance along with three growth directions: ▲ commencement of clinical trials for new drug pipelines ▲ expansion of pharmaceutical production facilities ▲ rapid growth in the health functional food (health supplement) business. Regarding new drugs, they have started Phase 3 clinical trials to expand indications for the botulinum toxin product Riztox, and Phase 1 clinical trial plans for a combination dyslipidemia treatment (HUC2-396) and a gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment (HUC2-364) have been approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and are underway. On the facilities side, a dedicated second plant for eye drops will begin trial operation in the second half of the year, and production facilities such as a new cartridge injection line will also be expanded. Notably, Huons’ health supplement business, which is a key focus, is showing growth. The menopause probiotic ‘Menolacto’ surpassed 10 billion KRW in quarterly sales as a single brand, and new products such as prostate and skin whitening supplements are also set to be launched.

Biotech companies reportedly shared updates on their pipeline progress. Genome & Company, which held a presentation on the 22nd, introduced the clinical progress of ‘GEN-001,’ currently under development. GEN-001 is an immune-oncology microbiome drug candidate composed mainly of a single strain of Lactococcus lactis isolated from healthy human intestines. In Korea, they received approval for a Phase 2 clinical trial of combination therapy with Bavencio (active ingredient avelumab) targeting gastric cancer and completed the first patient dosing in April this year. Recently, they also applied to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for a Phase 2 clinical trial plan of combination therapy with Keytruda (active ingredient pembrolizumab) targeting biliary tract cancer. Classys, a cosmetic medical device company, explained the overall potential of the cosmetic medical device industry, expansion of existing markets such as Brazil and Japan, entry into new markets like the U.S. and China, and core expansion strategies including product lineup extension.

The holding of these IR presentations by the pharmaceutical and biotech industry is interpreted as a measure to revive frozen investment sentiment amid a declining market following the Q2 earnings announcements. An industry official said, “The market situation is challenging due to factors such as the current strong dollar,” adding, “This appears to be an effort to find a breakthrough through communication with shareholders and to properly convey corporate value.”

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