As South Korea increases its stakes on the “bioeconomy” as its next growth engine and as its “second semiconductor industry,” leading domestic biologic and biosimilar drug producers such as Samsung Biologics Co. Ltd. and Celltrion Inc. are setting record production targets to become forerunners in the global playing field.

National support for the biosimilar sector and the domestic industry’s efforts to increase production and sales may not be enough for South Korean biosimilar firms to box out competition in the ever-changing regulatory court of the U.S.

In July 2023, South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy ramped up efforts to kickstart the so-called “Bio Economy 2.0,” the newfound initiative that banks on the biopharmaceutical industry to potentially revitalize the country’s slowing economic and social growth. Highlighting four major areas – biopharmaceuticals, biomaterials, bioenergy and digital technologies – as the four “wheels” to carry the biopharma industry, the new plan underscored the government’s unwavering support for the sector while highlighting its vision to become the “number one bioeconomy” worldwide.

Acurastem Inc. said on Sept. 25 that it struck an out-licensing deal potentially worth $580 million with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to develop drugs for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other PIKfyve gene-targeting therapeutics. Under the terms, Tokyo-headquartered Takeda obtains exclusive worldwide rights to Acurastem’s PIKfyve-targeting therapeutics, including Acurastem’s lead AS-202 asset, an antisense oligonucleotide therapy to treat ALS.

Everest Medicines Ltd. is in-licensing Kezar Life Sciences Inc.’s phase II autoimmune disease candidate, zetomipzomib in a deal worth $132 million for greater China, South Korea and southeast Asia rights. Kezar’s lead molecule zetomipzomib (KZR-616) is a first-in-class, selective immunoproteasome inhibitor with broad therapeutic potential across multiple autoimmune diseases.