The global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry is entering a peak season as major conferences commence. K-Bio aims to share clinical results on the world stage and pursue significant deals with global pharmaceutical companies.
According to industry sources, the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) kicked off in Barcelona, Spain, on May 27, followed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago on May 29, and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) conference set for June 5.
Numerous K-Bio companies are participating in these conferences to showcase their clinical data and enhance their global presence. There is growing optimism in the industry, particularly in the fields of cancer treatment and therapies for obesity and diabetes.
At ASCO 2026, the world's largest cancer conference, companies presenting clinical results orally are gaining attention. Oral presentations are prestigious sessions where only top research is selected from global submissions.
GI Innovation plans to present abstracts on its next-generation immuno-oncology candidate, GI-101A, both as a monotherapy and in combination with Keytruda. The company reported encouraging anti-cancer activity and tolerability in Phase 1 and 2 trials for both treatment approaches, noting that anti-cancer activity tends to increase with higher doses of GI-101A.
VigenCell will formally present the results of its Phase 2 clinical trial for the immune cell therapy VT-EBV-N. This marks the first instance of a domestic company having its cell therapy clinical data accepted for a formal oral presentation at ASCO. Additionally, the medical AI firm Lunit will unveil five research results utilizing its AI biomarker platform, Lunit Scope, at ASCO 2026.
D&D Pharmatech is set to present the results of its Phase 2 study on the GLP-1 and glucagon dual-action MASH treatment, DD01, at EASL 2026. This study has been selected for a late-breaking abstract (LBA) presentation, which is reserved for the most significant recent research deemed academically important after the regular abstract submission period. The company plans to reveal top-line data, including liver tissue biopsy results after 48 weeks of treatment, which has led to a surge in D&D Pharmatech's stock price, closing at its upper limit on May 27.
At ADA 2026, new candidates for obesity treatments are expected to be unveiled. Hanmi Pharmaceutical will present eight research results on two obesity drug candidates from June 5 to 8 in New Orleans, USA.
The candidates to be disclosed include the innovative obesity treatment LA-UCN2 and the next-generation muscle-enhancing treatment LA-MSTN. Notably, the peptide-based myostatin inhibitor HM500197 will be introduced for the first time. Additionally, Inventis Labs will present non-clinical research results on its long-acting injectable (LAI) formulation, IVL3021, based on semaglutide.
A pharmaceutical industry representative stated, "The participation of companies in key presentation slots at consecutive global conferences demonstrates that K-Bio's clinical capabilities have reached a world-class level. Particularly, cancer, obesity, and diabetes treatments represent massive markets worth hundreds of trillions of won, raising expectations for future technology licensing fees and royalty revenues for companies."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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