"Switzerland and Korea partner up for bio-ecosystem"

"…a joint-innovation model has been suggested"

Roche expects to achieve synergy by partnering with Korean companies

Attention has been drawn to Korea's competitive edge in new ADCs and Alzheimer's disease drugs

Conradin Cramer, Mayor of Basel, Switzerland

As the global pharmaceutical industry is restructuring around collaboration, Switzerland and South Korea are strengthening their partnership to build an innovation ecosystem.

 

The vision is to establish a model of joint innovation, based on efficient resource and mutual trust, rather than a simple technology exchange.

 

On October 16, Roche Korea hosted a media day at its headquarters in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, with Switzerland's City of Basel and the Embassy of Switzerland in Korea, to share global partnering strategies and success stories for building a bio-ecosystem.

 

Switzerland, despite its small territory —about 40% the size of South Korea — and a population of around 9 million, has produced numerous leading global pharmaceutical companies.

 

In particular, the City of Basel is home to over 800 life science companies, including Roche, Novartis, and Ferring Pharmaceuticals.

 

Basel is also home to 'BaseLaunch,' a venture builder that supports bio-ventures and represents Europe.

 

So far, 11 companies in the BaseLaunch portfolio have attracted over $800 million (approximately KRW 1 trillion) in investment from European and U.S.

 

venture funds.

 

Switzerland has also been recognized as the world's most innovative country for 15 consecutive years in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)'s Global Innovation Index.

 

Conradin Cramer, Mayor of Basel, stated, "City of Basel's strength is not just its world-class research, but also its accessibility.

 

Universities, hospitals, and public institutions are all within walking distance.

 

This proximity facilitates rapid decision-making and network formation." He emphasized, "Innovation does not remain confined to one country's economy.

 

Competence and mutual respect are essential factors for achieving goals.

 

We look forward to collaboration between Switzerland and Korea, and partnership collaboration between Roche and Korean partner companies." "Korean Companies Show Global Competitiveness in ADC and Alzheimer’s New Drugs"

(from left) Ezat Azem, General Manager of Roche Korea; Harm-Jan Borgeld, Head of Asia Partnering Group; Andrea Clementi, Head Swiss Business Hub Korea; Christof Kloepper, Basel Area Business & Innovation

Roche, founded in 1892, is one of the major global pharmaceutical companies, with innovative achievements across chronic diseases, oncology, rare diseases, immunological diseases, and ophthalmology.

 

Last year, the company's revenue recorded 60.495 billion Swiss Francs (approximately KRW 96 trillion).

 

Roche is also focusing on bolstering its next-generation pipeline across various markets.

 

Harm-Jan Borgeld, Head of Roche's Asia Partnering Group, who oversees the Asian markets including Korea, Japan, and China, explained that Korean companies are effectively developing both Best-in-Class and First-in-Class new drug candidates.

 

He particularly assessed that Korea holds strengths in Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) and early-stage Alzheimer's disease.

 

Harm-Jan Borgeld stated, "We have confirmed the competitiveness of Korean companies in ADCs.

 

We see strong interest in promising new drug candidates, especially those pursuing bispecific antibody-ADCs that can target multiple solid tumors rather than a single indication.

 

The market competitiveness of Korean companies is also evident in the components of ADCs: the payload, the linker, and the platform technology.

 

Furthermore, Korea holds promising candidates for Alzheimer's disease treatments." He added, "For Korean companies to build contact points with global companies, they must understand the interests of partnering companies.

 

In particular, the pitching points of each new drug candidate are particularly important.

 

Most projects are in the Phase 1 to Phase 2 stage, and companies that pitch well accurately present their most advanced compounds.

 

Most importantly, successful progress in preclinical animal models is essential." Borgeld stressed that companies developing a Best-in-Class drug must be able to clearly explain the potential of their acquired data, along with an analysis of competing drugs.

 

Borgeld said, "Late entrants must identify which data has potential compared to competitors.

 

They must also pay attention to the progress of competitors," and added, "Preparation related to manufacturing and production must also be strong.

 

Companies should be able to explain their manufacturing plan for the antibody compound." Ezat Azem emphasized, "For Korean companies to enter the global market, it is essential to meet various international standards first.

 

By narrowing the gap with international standards, the possibility of collaboration with global companies will increase.

 

Like in Switzerland, cooperation among industry, academia, and government is needed."