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Korean Biopharma Financings Remain In Doldrums But Recovery In Sight?

US Lazertinib Decision A Catalyst

 
• By Jung Won Shin

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.

However, the hopes of a recovery are brewing after some positive signs in recent weeks, with one important catalyst being the possible US Food and Drug Administration approval of a novel lung cancer combination therapy from

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