South Korean biotech firms secure spots in top 10 APAC pharma deals

Three South Korean pharmaceutical companies have been recognized in the top 10 most influential biopharmaceutical transactions in the Asia-Pacific region for 2024, according to a report by BioPharma APAC.

Samsung Biologics ranked 6th following its acquisition of the Swiss peptide CDMO PolyPeptide. The deal, valued at approximately 1.46 billion Swiss francs (roughly $1.8 billion), aims to expand Samsung’s portfolio into peptide-based medicines, particularly for the growing metabolic disease market.

SK Biopharm secured the 7th position through its deal with US-based Biohaven. The agreement involves the acquisition of global exclusive rights to the epilepsy drug candidate opakalim and the associated Kv7 platform, with a total contract value of up to $795 million and a $400 million upfront payment.

Hanmi Pharmaceutical placed 9th via a licensing agreement with Genentech. The deal, which has a potential value of up to $2.3 billion, focuses on a drug candidate designed to mitigate muscle loss during weight management processes.

The report highlights a shifting trend in the APAC region, where companies are moving beyond being mere technology providers to becoming active acquirers of global assets and production infrastructure.