'Leclaza,' as a representative case developed in collaboration with domestic and international bio-ventures based on the open innovation strategy.
Yuhan Pharmaceuticals has achieved success in open innovation through its innovative drug 'Leclaza' and is currently focusing on the discovery of subsequent innovative drugs.
In a recent interview with a local media outlet, CEO Kim Yeol-hong expressed the company's commitment to facilitating the global expansion of domestic bio-ventures, taking responsibility for the task and continuously seeking innovative drugs in various fields.
'Leclaza,' which surpassed 1 trillion KRW in annual sales for the first time in the domestic market, stands as a representative case developed in collaboration with domestic and international bio-ventures based on the open innovation strategy.
CEO Kim mentioned that despite maintaining the top position in sales for several years, the company has received feedback about a lack of strength in the research and development sector. To address this, they have actively pursued open innovation, collaborating with external technologies to achieve technology exports with major global pharmaceutical companies.
Following the success of 'Leclaza,' Yuhan Pharmaceuticals is actively developing various drug candidates, planning to introduce two more innovative drugs by 2026, with a focus on allergies and bispecific antibody anticancer drugs.
CEO Kim explained that these candidate drugs are already in the process of recruiting patients for Phase 1 clinical trials and have attracted attention from global pharmaceutical companies.
The success of 'Leclaza' has been emphasized as proof that the domestic bio-industry can make a global blockbuster entry. The company is concentrating on the early-stage material discovery for its mid-to-long-term competitiveness, currently possessing over 30 early-stage materials.
In conclusion, CEO Kim highlighted the sufficient strength of the Korean bio-industry in global competition. He added that Yuhan Pharmaceuticals aims to play a robust role as a bridge, facilitating the global entry of promising Korean technologies.