South Korean biopharma company Celltrion said Monday that the US Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review the firm’s biologics license application for Herzuma, its cheaper biosimilar copy of Roche’s blockbuster anticancer drug Herceptin.Celltrion submitted Herzuma to the US FDA in May. The US regulator is slated to announce its approval decision in the first half of 2018, according to the Korean drugmaker.Developed by Roche-owned Genentech, Herceptin is a monoclonal antibody drug pri

　Tension is running high on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea’s second launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, with the US sending strategic bombers in a show of force and Pyongyang warning Washington against its pressure on the regime. 　After taking off from Anderson Air Base in Guam, B-1B Lancers joined four South Korean F-15k fighter jets to conduct interception and formation training, and left the peninsula later in the day after finishing their 10-hour mission, according t

Seo Jung-jin, the founding chairman of South Korean biopharmaceutical company Celltrion, has officially taken the 10th spot in the country’s list of stock rich billionaires, following Celltrion Healthcare’s initial public offering last Friday.Celltrion Healthcare, the sales and marketing subsidiary of Celltrion, went public on the Kosdaq on Friday. Its shares soared 15.23 percent from its initial offering price to close at 53,000 won ($47.30), with its market capitalization at 6.88 trillion won,

Wherever they go, they naturally draw attention. One day they may fight like there’s no tomorrow, but in the end they are each other’s best friend. Twins, whether identical or fraternal, are becoming more common in Korea, partly because more women are getting married at an older age, increasing the likelihood of having children via medically assisted reproduction, which raises the chances of multiple births. The latest data from Statistics Korea shows that 16,166 twins were born in 2015, account

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines business unit of French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi, said Wednesday it has appointed Baptiste de Clarens as the new general manager of its South Korean office.De Clarens joined Sanofi Pasteur in 2006, holding a range of responsibilities ranging from finance and sales to marketing and business operations at the Sanofi-owned vaccine company. Sanofi Pasteur Korea’s new general manager, Baptiste de Clarens (Sanofi Pasteur Korea)He moved to the firm’s Singapore office in

South Korean drugmaker Celltrion said Wednesday that it posted record high earnings in the second quarter, fueled by expanded global sales of Remsima, a cheaper biosimilar copy of Johnson & Johnson’s Remicade. During the April-June period, Celltrion’s operating profit jumped 79.4 percent on-year to 138.3 billion won ($123 million), while revenue rose 33 percent to 246.1 billion won, marking the company’s best quarterly performance to date, the firm said.Celltrion’s headquarters in Songdo, Incheo

 　South Korea’s push for stronger ballistic missiles may boost its deterrence capability against North Korea, but it would require a renegotiation of a military pact with the US and may prompt opposition from China, experts said Tuesday.　In his first summit with US President Donald Trump last month, President Moon Jae-in floated the idea that the bilateral missile guideline pact be revised so that Seoul can double the maximum payload of its ballistic missile warheads from the current 500 kilogra

Samsung Bioepis said Tuesday that it has begun selling a cheaper biosimilar drug referencing Johnson & Johnson’s Remicade in the US via its partner Merck & Co., marking the second Remicade copy to hit the US market. The launch of Samsung’s Remicade biosimilar, named Renflexis, comes three months after its official approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in April.Renflexis was developed by Songo-based Samsung Bioepis and is being commercialized in the US by its global sales marketing part

　North Korea may be preparing for another ballistic missile test, possibly involving a submarine this time, media reports have suggested, raising concerns over further escalation of military tensions on the Korean Peninsula following a “game-changer” missile test earlier this month.  　According to reports by NHK and CNN last week, US defense officials detected unusual activity of North Korea’s Romeo-class submarine: It has been engaging in an underwater mission for a week after sailing some 100

South Korea’s leading biopharmaceutical association has set out to form a new center that will support the country’s new drug development efforts with artificial intelligence computing technologies.　The Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-pharma Manufacturers Association said Monday that it is working to create an AI-backed drug development support center this year to expedite ongoing efforts by local drugmakers to develop new blockbuster therapies for diseases.New drug development is a lengthy, high-r

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles highlighting South Korea’s promising startups in the emerging sectors of digital health care and next-generation medical devices. This is the 10th installment. -- Ed.　For most people, recognizing the slightest differences between objects that look similar is difficult. This is especially true for pills, which can easily look the same, even to professional pharmacists.　Targeting this problem, one tech startup in South Korea has set out to introd

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense plans to overhaul the cyber and security commands that have been under criticism for excessive oversight on civilian and military affairs during past conservative governments, military officials said Sunday. 　Led by new defense chief Song Young-moo, the overhaul measure would aim to prevent Cyber Command from interfering with domestic politics and Defense Security Command from surveilling innocent civilians and military officers.　“The move would include

South Korea‘s parliament on Saturday passed an 11.03 trillion won (US$9.8 billion) extra budget bill after marathon negotiations over what President Moon Jae-in has promoted as a vital tool to create jobs and prop up economic growth.　The National Assembly held a floor vote to endorse the bill that includes funds to support drought-hit regions, the disabled, the ailing shipbuilding industry, preparations for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and the installation of air purifiers at elementary

The United States will ban its citizens from traveling to North Korea amid concerns about their safety in the communist nation, the State Department said Friday.　The announcement comes after the death of U.S. college student Otto Warmbier, who died last month after returning from the North in a coma. This file photo taken on April 17, 2017 shows an Air Koryo aircraft as it sits parked in front of houses outside Pyongyang airport. (Yonhap-AFP)　“Due to mounting concerns over the serious risk of ar

　China‘s top envoy to South Korea called Saturday for a solution to quickly end a monthslong diplomatic row over the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system in South Korea.　Chinese Ambassador Qiu Guohong said the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system had a “serious impact” on the mutual trust between the two countries, calling it “the biggest hurdle” for the development of bilateral relations.　“Many South Koreans say Beijing is retaliating against Seoul.　But

The number of basic pension recipients who are older than 65 and belong to the bottom 70 percent of income earners totaled 4.72 million as of March this year, government data showed Saturday.　The figure represents 66.6 percent of the entire population aged 65 and over, falling short of the government’s payout rate of 70 percent.　Of the recipients, 1.62 million people receive both basic and national pension, while the total amount of basic pension payout reached 870.6 billion won (US$778 million)

South Korean shares are likely to undergo a correction next week as the ongoing diplomatic row with China is expected to cause weaker earnings for local carmakers and cosmetics firms, analysts said Saturday.　The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at a fresh record high of 2,450.06 points on Friday.  　The main index rose 1.5 percent this week helped by strong second-quarter earnings results in financial and chemical firms. 　LG Chem Ltd. posted a 57-percent on-year ris

Shares of Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI), the country‘s sole aircraft manufacturer, closed at a record low on the main bourse this week amid alleged corruption in major defense projects, market watchers said Saturday.　KAI closed at 47,950 won (US$42.85) on the main bourse on Tuesday, hitting a 52-week low, the bourse operator Korea Exchange said. The company managed to slightly rebound to close at 50,400 won on Friday. 　The company has been involved in high-profile defense projects t

Sales of South Korean duty-free stores slightly improved on-month in June, data showed Saturday, after suffering months of decline due to the falling number of Chinese visitors amid Seoul‘s diplomatic tensions with Beijing.　According to the data compiled by the Korea duty-free Shops Association, the combined sales of local duty-free stores from foreigners advanced 5 percent on-month in June at US$688 million, marking a rise for the second consecutive month.　The number of foreign visitors to such

The U.S. state of Hawaii announced a set of measures Friday to keep its people safe from a potential North Korean missile attack, news reports said.　The plan involves making public service announcements about staying inside, school evacuation drills and a new emergency siren that will be tested starting in November, according to the AP and other media.　Experts say Hawaii could be within range of North Korea‘s missiles soon, if not immediately, based on the communist country’s first test of an in