pharm edaily

[Seungkwon Kim, Edaily Reporter] On Sept. 9, shares of Korean pharma, biotech and healthcare companies rallied on news of overseas contracts and new product launches. Firms that demonstrated recognized value in their respective fields continued their upward momentum.

AI medical company NeuroPhET surged on news of a contract with a Japanese institution. Hans Biomed gained on a new product launch, while Cellbion rebounded from recent losses.

NeuroPhET climbs on Alzheimer’s AI diagnosis push

According to KG Zeroin’s MPDOCTOR, NeuroPhET shares rose steadily through the session, closing at 15,760 won, up about 20% from the previous day. The company’s market capitalization now stands at about 182.1 billion won.

The rally followed the announcement of a supply contract with the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology for its brain neurodegeneration imaging analysis software, Neurophet AQUA.

NeuroPhET stock trend (Data=KG Zeroin)

The institute specializes in geriatrics and is led by Atsushi Iwata, M.D., Ph.D., who also serves as an advisor to NeuroPhET.

“With this supply agreement, we have established a foothold for entry into the Japanese market,” said co-CEO Bin Joon-gil. “We will continue to expand our presence across Japan.”

NeuroPhET has recently signed a series of overseas deals. Last week, it announced a collaboration with the International Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias Registry (InRAD) to advance global clinical data standards for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The company also formalized a joint research contract with Swiss biopharma giant F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Through the Roche partnership, NeuroPhET aims to secure access to large-scale clinical data, strengthen its regulatory pathway, and broaden opportunities for technical and business collaboration.

“In a situation where obtaining large-scale medical data is difficult, this research contract is a significant development,” Bin said.

Hans Biomed and Cellbion extend gains

Hans Biomed climbed about 14% to close at 9,390 won after unveiling its new extracellular matrix (ECM)-based skin booster, CellREDM.

Unlike existing skin boosters that rely on stimulating collagen production, CellREDM directly supplements collagen using human acellular dermal matrix (hADM). The product features ultra-fine 75-micrometer particles for more uniform delivery.

Hans Biomed, which established Korea’s first tissue bank, has built a long track record in human tissue transplantation. The company described CellREDM as a “fundamental skin regeneration solution” that goes beyond cosmetic improvement.

Hans Biomed stock trend (Data=KG Zeroin)

Cellbion rose 7.29% to close at 23,550 won, reversing its recent downtrend. The rebound came after a sharp selloff following topline data released on Sept. 4.

The confirmed overall response rate (ORR) stood at 35.9% among 78 patients, with seven complete responses and 21 partial responses. The result was lower than the interim analysis released in January, which showed an ORR of 47.5%, triggering investor concerns.

CEO Kim explained that the independent review committee applied stricter criteria, including patients who had refused treatment, died of COVID-19 or declined life-prolonging care, which contributed to the lower ORR.

Cellbion said it will proceed with a conditional approval application to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. “We have demonstrated efficacy with statistical data and confirmed safety superior to competing products,” Kim said. “We believe conditional approval is highly likely.”