Competitiveness of K-anticancer drugs reaffirmed

Companies gather to boast performance of their homegrown and in-licensed anticancer drugs

Yuhan’s “Lazertinib” and GC Cell’s “Immuncell-LC” present long-term survival data

Boryung and Jeil introduce their in-licensed drugs — intensifying market leadership battle

Korean pharmaceutical companies gathered in one place to show off their anti-cancer pipelines, including both in-house developed and imported new drugs.

 

At the Korean Society of Medical Oncology 2025 International Conference (KSMO 2025), which was held over three days from September 3 at Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul, major domestic pharmaceutical companies showcased their oncology pipelines, including both self-developed and in-licensed drugs.

 

Companies such as Yuhan, Boryung, GC Cell, Jeil Pharmaceutical, and Celltrion highlighted their therapies, including Lazertinib, Zepzelca, Immuncell-LC, Lonsurf, and Vegzelma, covering a wide range of solid and hematologic cancers.

 

Domestic companies focus on promoting self-developed drugs and biosimilars Yuhan spotlighted its non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) therapy, Lazertinib.

 

Lazertinib was approved as Korea’s 31st novel homegrown drug approved in in January 2021.

 

The technology of the drug, which was originally developed by Genosco (a subsidiary of Oscotec) was transferred to Yuhan in 2015.

 

Yuhan later signed a USD 1.4 billion out-licensing deal with Janssen in November 2018.

 

Janssen confirmed Lazertinib’s efficacy compared with Tagrisso monotherapy, the current standard of care.

 

Through the MARIPOSA Phase III trial, In August 2023, the U.S.

 

FDA approved Lazertinib as a combination therapy as a first-line treatment for EGFR-positive NSCLC.

 

The combo regimen is expected to extend overall survival (OS) by more than a year versus existing therapies.

 

With over half of the patient group still alive, the trial is expected to reveal further significant improvements as new data emerges.

 

(from the left) GC Cell and Celltrion

GC Cell promoted Immuncell-LC, an autologous cell therapy originally developed by InnoCell (the predecessor of GC Cell).

 

The therapy uses mononuclear cells extracted from a cancer patient’s blood, cultured for over two weeks with anti-CD3 and IL-2 stimulation.

 

The activated immune cells target and eliminate cancer cells in the body.

 

Immuncell-LC functions by inducing activated T-lymphocytes and autologous cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK) to seek out and eliminate cancer cells within the body.

 

In a nine-year extended follow-up study of a Phase III trial in hepatocellular carcinoma, Immuncell-LC showed recurrence-free survival (RFS) of 43.5 months, compared with 27.4 months for the control group, with cancer-specific survival (CSS) not yet reached in either group.

 

Hanmi Pharmaceutical showcased Rolontis, a neutropenia drug that was approved in Korea in 2021 as the 33rd novel homegrown drug.

 

Marketed as Rolvedon in the U.S., it generates over KRW 20 billion in quarterly revenue.

 

Hanmi has been working to strengthen Rolontis’s competitiveness through a same-day administration trial.

 

Unlike existing drugs such as Neulasta, which require administration 24 hours post-chemotherapy, Rolontis allows for same-day dosing, reducing hospital stays and improving convenience.

 

Celltrion highlighted Vegzelma, a biosimilar to Roche’s Avastin (bevacizumab).

 

Now launched across Korea, the U.S., and Europe, Vegzelma has become the top-selling bevacizumab biosimilar in Europe.

 

(clockwise from the upper left) Jeil Pharmaceutica, Yuhan Corp, Boryung, and Hanmi Pharmaceutical

Intense Competition in In-Licensed Oncology Drugs Boryung emphasized its portfolio of in-licensed drugs, including Gemzar and Alimta.

 

Boryung acquired Korean rights to the cytotoxic anticancer drug for NSCLC and pancreatic cancer, Gemzar (originally by Eli Lilly), in October 2020, later adding the NSCLC drug Alimta’s rights in 2022 and transitioning from imports to in-house production.

 

Boryung also pinned hopes on the SCLC drug Zepzelca (developed by Spanish company PharmaMar), for which it holds exclusive sales rights in Korea.

 

A symposium on the Phase III IMforte study on its use in combination with the immunotherapy drug Tecentriq was also being held, focusing efforts on establishing Zepzelca as the standard of care.

 

Zepzelca is a novel drug developed by the Spanish pharmaceutical company PharmaMar, and is already being marketed in North America by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

 

Boryung holds exlclusive right to its sales and distribution in Korea.

 

Zepzelca inhibits DNA transcription in cancer cells and reduces tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) activity, thereby blocking cancer cell proliferation, immune evasion, and angiogenesis.

 

Zepzelca is being tested in the IMforte Phase III trial as a first-line option for small-cell lung cancer in combination with the immunotherapy Tecentriq (atezolizumab).

 

Early results show survival benefits compared with Tecentriq alone.

 

Jeil Pharmaceutical presented Lonsurf, which the company licensed from Japan’s Taiho.

 

Approved in the U.S.

 

in 2015 and now in 75 countries, Lonsurf is indicated for metastatic colorectal cancer and, since 2021, for metastatic gastric cancer.