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.

Scrip takes a look at the landscape of the South Korean gene and cell therapy sector, which is under the spotlight with the implementation of a new cutting-edge biologics law.

Plus deals involving GC Cell/Rivaara Immune, Sperogenix/Santhera, EOFlow/Zihipp, Grand/ITM, Tasly/Sutro, LegoChem/Iksuda, Nuance/Aerogen, Frontier/AffiRiS and Piramal/Yapan.

Novartis among the first to benefit with approvals for Zolgensma, Kymriah, and Luxturna. The new law has also enabled its first clinical trial – a Phase Ib study by Seoul National University of a CAR-T therapy for recurrent or refractory, CD19-positive, B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.