Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Association Expands Exchange with Basel, Switzerland, the Hub of European Bioindustry

At the Swiss Innovation Park, a delegation from the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association and Anke Hollnagel, Asia Director of the Basel Investment Agency (5th from the right), along with other officials, are posing for a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The domestic pharmaceutical and bio industry is expanding exchanges with Basel, Switzerland, the center of the European pharmaceutical and bio industry. Basel is home to over 700 pharmaceutical and bio companies and more than 1,000 research institutions, making it a base for global big pharma in Europe.

The Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association (KPBMA) delegation participated in a special showcase event organized by the Basel Investment Agency in Switzerland, where they had the opportunity to interact with local research institutions, universities, and companies, the association announced on the 31st.

This event is part of the ‘Swiss Baselonch KPBMA Customized Program’ domain partnership agreement signed in January this year with five participating companies including Yuhan Corporation, Hanmi Pharmaceutical, Ildong Pharmaceutical, Chong Kun Dang, and Daewoong Pharmaceutical. Baselonch is a healthcare accelerator program by the Swiss Investment Agency that forms partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and startups, providing broad support such as investment, networking opportunities, and business consulting.

About 100 experts from the Swiss pharmaceutical industry and Basel-based professionals attended the showcase, showing strong interest in Korean pharmaceutical companies. The association introduced that the Korean pharmaceutical industry has gained international attention as an efficient response to the infectious disease pandemic through the keynote presentation titled ‘K-PHARM’s Quantum Leap into the Global Market.’ They also announced plans to actively promote networking expansion and open innovation with the Basel region and Europe in the future.

Yuhan Corporation shared its successful case of developing the anticancer new drug Reklaza through open innovation and licensing deals with domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies, and disclosed plans to establish a base soon to prepare for European market entry and expand partnerships with Switzerland and the European region.

Hanmi Pharmaceutical introduced its innovative research and development (R&D) efforts, including large-scale licensing agreements with global big pharma since 2015. Hanmi Pharmaceutical stated, “While currently striving for global new drug development, we recently received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Rolontis, a treatment for neutropenia,” and added, “We are seeking cooperation with Switzerland, the center of the European pharmaceutical industry.”

The delegation visited the heart of Basel’s pharmaceutical industry, including the Swiss Innovation Park and Novartis Campus, to understand the latest trends in open innovation activation in Switzerland. Additionally, they held technical meetings with three promising startups invited by the Basel Investment Agency and examined industry-academia collaboration in Basel with local university officials.

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