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[이데일리 손민지 기자] South Korean stocks extended their rally on Tuesday 26, with both the benchmark KOSPI and the tech-heavy KOSDAQ climbing sharply. The KOSPI briefly broke above the 8100 mark to hit a record high, while the KOSDAQ reclaimed the 1200 level.
Biotech shares also rallied broadly, led by Nature Cell, which hit the daily upper limit for a second consecutive session. VaxCell-Bio surged more than 21%, while ToolGen, KM Pharmaceutical, ROKIT Healthcare and D&D Pharmatech each gained more than 9%.
KM Pharmaceutical rose 9.8% on foreign buying, allowing the company‘s market capitalization to narrowly recover above the KOSDAQ delisting threshold of 15 billion won ($10.9 million) after recent stock declines had pushed it below the line.
ROKIT Healthcare climbed after the company said a joint preclinical study with researchers at a Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospital confirmed the efficacy and safety of its AI-based kidney regeneration platform.
Despite the broad market rally, some biotech names closed lower. Bistos, Poongjeon Pharmaceutical and Huons all ended in negative territory.
 | | Nature Cell Hits Second Straight Limit-Up; D&D Pharmatech Gains Ahead of Liver Biopsy Reveal [K-Bio Pulse] |
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Nature Cell rallies on FDA meeting outcome According to KG Zeroin’s MP Doctor platform, Nature Cell soared 30% to close at 29,250 won on the KOSDAQ, marking its second straight daily limit-up finish.
Investor sentiment improved sharply after the company disclosed details from a recent meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding its stem cell therapy JointStem, which is being developed for osteoarthritis.
Nature Cell said the FDA indicated the company could proceed with a biologics license application based on its Korean Phase 3 clinical data without conducting an additional clinical trial, during discussions tied to a regenerative medicine advanced therapy designation meeting.
Rha Jeong chan chairman of Nature Cell, said through the company‘s YouTube channel that approval without an additional pivotal study could save “hundreds of billions of won” and shorten the development timeline by roughly three years.
Still, market observers noted that the FDA’s feedback does not guarantee approval, as the final decision will depend on the agency‘s formal review process.
 | | Nature Cell Hits Second Straight Limit-Up; D&D Pharmatech Gains Ahead of Liver Biopsy Reveal [K-Bio Pulse] |
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D&D Pharmatech rises ahead of EASL presentation D&D Pharmatech gained 9.04% to close at 76,000 won, extending a three-session rally after previous gains of 3.23% and 14.83%.
The move came ahead of the company’s planned disclosure of 48-week liver biopsy data for DD01, its metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) drug candidate, at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), which opens on May 27.
Investor attention also appeared to increase after a premium article from Pharm Edaily discussing DD01 was made publicly available through Korean portal platforms earlier in the day.
The report described the upcoming biopsy data as a key inflection point that could determine ‘DD01’s licensing-out prospects. Industry observers believe D&D Pharmatech may gain leverage in partnership negotiations if the candidate meets major fibrosis improvement endpoints.
However, concerns remain, as several MASH drug developers have previously reported promising noninvasive indicators but failed to satisfy critical biopsy-based endpoints.
 | | Nature Cell Hits Second Straight Limit-Up; D&D Pharmatech Gains Ahead of Liver Biopsy Reveal [K-Bio Pulse] |
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Bistos tumbles after reverse stock split trading resumes Bistos plunged 17.79% to 3,605 won on the first trading day after the lifting of a suspension tied to its reverse stock split.
Trading resumed following the completion of share consolidation procedures, but investor sentiment weakened instead of improving.
Market participants said profit-taking pressure likely emerged because reverse stock splits do not change a company‘s underlying fundamentals. Such moves are often viewed as attempts to improve low-priced stock images or stabilize share prices, leading to heightened volatility once trading resumes.
Analysts also pointed to uncertainty surrounding the company’s future business direction following a recent change in its largest shareholder.
One industry official said some investors remain skeptical that CU Medical Systems, which acquired the stake, will aggressively expand operations using Bistos.
