More signs of improvement in South Korean biopharma alliances emerged right at the end of 2023, with LegoChem Biosciences, Inc. announcing an up to $1.7bn antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) deal with Janssen Biotech Inc. just after Christmas.
LegoChem Brings Late Christmas Cheer With $1.7bn ADC Deal
Janssen Gets Worldwide Rights To Trop2-Directed ADC
LegoChem Biosciences has sealed yet another sizable out-licensing agreement with a global big pharma firm, this time with Janssen, underlining the continued keen global interest in ADCs.

More from South Korea
South Korea's LigaChem is kickstarting a growth and globalization drive through a potential future acquisition of UK ADC player IKSUDA.
A new report from a domestic institute on South Korea’s biopharma M&A trends shows a pickup in activity, but that this remains relatively weak and small-scale. It calls for broader domestic government support to build expertise, drive innovation and globalization.
Cross-Asian initiative has already brought several South Korean gene and cell therapy startups and Japanese VCs closer, with further hopes for product development and launches in Japan, regulatory harmonization and gliobalization.
The latest activity in the South Korean biotech sector includes IPOs by Orum and Dongkook Life, as well as progress with ADCs at multiple firms.
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South Korea's LigaChem is kickstarting a growth and globalization drive through a potential future acquisition of UK ADC player IKSUDA.