Yuhan’s chief scientific officer shares why the leading Korean pharma firm is stepping up its open innovation activities and how this is helping to transform the company into a more global and R&D-based enterprise.

Among recent highlights, SK Bioscience files for approval of recombinant protein COVID-19 vaccine GBP510, Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s Chinese subsidiary continues to report strong earnings, led by cold drug sales, while Yuhan’s novel peptide drug candidate for degenerative disc disease is set to move into a Phase III trial in the US.

Private Company Edition: In other venture capital mega-rounds, Aurion brought in $120m, Sionna launched with $111m and Irish firm Renexxion said a private equity group committed up to $100m in total investment to be made within 36 months of a future public listing. 

Major Korean firm Yuhan is seeing progress across multiple novel drug candidates licensed out to global partners, with two now entering pivotal trials. An innovative therapy for degenerative disc disease licensed to Spine BioPharma has received an FDA nod for a Phase III program and may change the standard of care for chronic low back pain patients.