Seoul [South Korea], September 12 : Global pharmaceutical leaders said on Thursday that cell therapy, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug development and diagnostics, digital healthcare, and aesthetic medicine are four frontiers that will lead South Korea's biotech industry, as per a report by Pulse, the English service of Maeil Business Newspaper Korea.
At the 2025 World Knowledge Forum K-Bio Night that took place on the same day at the Shilla Hotel in central Seoul, global pharma and biotech leaders took the stage to share growth strategies for K-bio's next leap.
As per the report, in his keynote, Cha Bio Group's head of the Global Research Institute Cha Kwang-ryul noted that cell therapy, a field that is rapidly gaining global attention, could be a major opportunity for Korean biotech.
"As the number of centenarians worldwide rises sharply, cell therapy could become both a hope and an alternative for humanity," Pulse quoted Cha. "With Korea's strengths in stem cell research and cell banking technology, we have the potential to capture the global market."
Another highlight was the "K-Bio's Competitiveness Through the Eyes of Global Media" session by David Flores, chief executive officer of BioCentury Inc. The U.S.-based global biopharma media company was founded in 1992.
Flores stressed that to attract global investors, Korean biotech firms need trustworthy, reproducible data. The key lies in researcher-led clinical trials, multi-regional trial capabilities, and the clinical infrastructure to support them, he said.
Flores also highlighted Daejeon, home to companies like Alteogen and LigaChem Biosciences, as a model of an Asian biotech hub. He said that Daejeon is large enough to host many scientists and firms yet compact enough that researchers can continue their careers without leaving the city, even after setbacks.
Bruno Cohen, who leads the Galien Foundation, and Philippe Schaison, chairman of the board at Raziel Therapeutics, also praised Korea's biotech innovation.
Cohen said that from cell and gene therapy to AI and digital health, Korean scientists and companies are addressing some of the most urgent medical needs.
For his part, Schaison spotlighted aesthetic medicine as an innovation frontier. The global aesthetics market will grow to $30 billion, with the U.S. accounting for 65 per cent, in the next few years and Korean companies should focus on high-value strategies as well as marketing investments, he said.
Just as Allergan boosted consumer loyalty through bundled sales of fat-dissolving injectables and Botox, as well as via royalty programs, Korean firms need strategies to strengthen customer loyalty, he said.
Kim Ji-hoon, a senior partner at Boston Consulting Group who leads growth strategies and new business roadmaps in biotech and healthcare, emphasized that "Korean biotech still lags far behind global big pharma, but if it secures a firm position as a mid-cap, this will open pathways for future expansion."
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