The start-up is aiming to develop a NaV1.8 inhibitor for pain, but previous efforts here have met with more failure than success.

Plus deals involving OliPass/Vanda, Simcere/Almirall, Sinopharm/Merck & Co., Jiuzhou/Sandoz, Zai Lab/Seagen, Sciwind/SynderK, Hansoh/KiOmed.

Despite an expected absence of large floats like that of Celltrion Healthcare last year, IPOs by biotech and pharma firms in South Korea are poised to rise in 2018 amid an improved stock listing environment and progress in novel drug development.

South Korean bioventure OliPass tells Scrip how it intends to grab a leading position in the global antisense oligonucleotide drug sector using in-house developed technology that it says can both sharply lower prices and increase safety in the field, where it is initially focusing on novel pain therapies.