Korean Biopharma Financings Remain In Doldrums But Recovery In Sight?

US Lazertinib Decision A Catalyst

As investor sentiment around Korean biopharma IPOs and financings remained tepid in the second quarter, companies turned to other ways of raising money, including rights offerings. But there are signs of recovery and upcoming catalysts, while on the M&A front Boryung divested a vaccine subsidiary to a private equity consortium. 

signs of recovery
Korean firms Opt For Rights Offerings Amid Shoots of recovery in funding • Source: Shutterstock

Amid continued weakness in general investor sentiment around initial public offerings (IPOs) and venture capital (VC) financings in the sector, South Korean biopharma companies increasingly opted for rights offerings or other ways to obtain new funding in the second quarter in order to progress their R&D pipelines.

More from South Korea

LigaChem Eyes Future Acquisition Of IKSUDA Following 26.6% Stake

 
• By 

South Korea's LigaChem is kickstarting a growth and globalization drive through a potential future acquisition of UK ADC player IKSUDA.

Korea Needs To Think Bigger On M&As: KHIDI

 

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.

Japan-Korea Venture Collab Grows With VC And Regulatory Meetups

 
• By 

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.

Korea Biotech Roundup: Orum, DongKook Price IPOs Below Band

 
• By 

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.

More from Focus On Asia

Mounjaro In India: Price Differential, Window Of Opportunity

 

Lilly’s Mounjaro arrives in India, with the 2.5mg vial priced at under $41 in a market that has over 100 million diabetics and increasing obesity rates. Will the product see sharp demand like in China, carving out a chunk of the pie ahead of the potential arrival of semaglutide generics and could there be concerns of ‘suitcase' exports?

LigaChem Eyes Future Acquisition Of IKSUDA Following 26.6% Stake

 
• By 

South Korea's LigaChem is kickstarting a growth and globalization drive through a potential future acquisition of UK ADC player IKSUDA.

Profile: Anil Koul’s Journey From ‘Jumping Genes’ To Sirturo And AI-Led Drug Discovery

 

Professor Anil Koul shares vignettes of his life and career trajectory, a captivating mix of hope, science and destiny that took him to the lab of eminent cancer biologist Alex Ullrich at the Max Planck Institute and also saw him contribute to the development of breakthrough TB drug bedaquiline. He also talks about Medicine 3.0 and the intersection of science and spirituality.