SK Bioscience’s acquisition of top 10 CDMO marks first major acquisition as part of its growth acceleration strategy and the biggest such investment so far by a Korean vaccines firm. Execs say deal is aligned with SK Group’s wider moves to 'rebalance' its businesses.

South Korea’s clinical trial approvals rebounded in 2023, but remained lower than the peak levels in 2020-21 amid then robust R&D activity related to COVID-19. Last year's tally showed a mix of single-country and multinational trials and reflected the ongoing dominance of oncology in industry pipelines.

With big pharma on a radiopharmaceuticals buying spree, New York-based Actinium Pharmaceuticals has been pointed to as the next potential takeout target.

As South Korea's doctors continue their long-running protest against a government plan to raise the medical student quota at universities, the walk-outs may be beginning to take a toll on the pharma industry, with many large firms reporting weak earnings in the last quarter.