Korean biomedical companies producing dermal wrinkle fillers are seeing buoyed sales from increasing exports to China and Japan.

Two firms, Hugel and Medytox, said Thursday that the heightened demand for their wrinkle-smoothing filler products helped boost sales in the first quarter this year.

Their primary products are botulinum toxin, more commonly known as Botox, however, it was hyaluronic acid fillers -- launched less than three years ago -- that proved to be successful.

Hugel said its first-quarter revenue from filler “Deo Chaewoom,” which it introduced in 2014, jumped more than fourfold in a year to 9.7 billion won ($8.1 million). While it earned similar revenue from Botox products, the growth spurt was faster in fillers. The company attributed it to the accelerating exports. 


Medytox echoed the analysis, saying that out of the 13.5 billion won it raked in with “Neuramis,” introduced in 2013, 10.2 billion was through overseas sales -- half of that in Japan.


Following Japan, China is emerging as the key market for Korean cosmetics products. Market watchers anticipate the Chinese filler market will grow 33.6 percent annually and reach 620 billion won by 2020.

Cosmetics and life style products retailer LG Life Science, the first Korean company to be granted rights to sell its filler “Yvoire Classic S” in China, said the revenue from its dermal filler exports increased on-year by 63 percent to 9.6 billion won. 


The company expects its revenue will continue to swell, as two more filler products containing topical anesthetic substance lidocaine were granted permission for sale in China. 

Meanwhile, the second Korean company that was given permission to export to China, Humedix, reported a slower-than-anticipated growth rate. In the first quarter, its “Dermal Filler” sales rose only by 14 percent to 3.5 billion won. However, combined with exports of its gonarthritis care product, the company recorded a total export volume worth 10.7 billion won, a 27 percent on-year rise.

Humedix said it had difficulties securing a logistics network in China which hampered the initial sales. But it is confident of a gradual sales growth with its quality products.


By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)