●  SK Chemical, the pride of No. 1 new medicine,
     Dreams of the 2nd leap in Pangyo Bio-valley

Over 20 years history for total health care company
SK Chemical (CEO and Vice-chairman Kim Chang Geun) had its origin from ‘Sunkyung Synthetic Fibers’, the matrix of SK Group established in 1969. The company attempted diversification and high technology of business in the precision chemical industry in 1980s. The life science started in 1988.

The life science business of SK Chemical originated from Sunkyung Pharmaceutical in 1988. In 2005, SK Chemical created life science section by merging SK Pharmaceutical. The business portfolio was diversified in 2006 by merging Dongsin Pharmaceutical, the leading firm for domestic vaccine business. In 2007, the company merged In2Gen, a bio company co-established with the Cancer Research Institute of Seoul National University. In 2008, the company acquired UB Care, the largest EMR solution company in Korea, to intensify medical device business and medical service performance.

Through the acquisition of UB Care, SK Chemical finally became an actual total health care company equipping the capacity in medical device and U-health care area. In 2009, the company expanded life science part, which is one of the two core businesses with eco-friendly chemical business, as Life Science Biz to be a total health care company.

The intensification of Korea pharmaceutical through globalization
SK Chemical attempted to enter into overseas market from its initial stage with advanced technology and production facility. Headed by the export of Omed (ingredient name: Omeprazole, antipeptic ulcer drug) into the EU market in 1999 for the first in Korea, it currently exports about 20 billion won annually to Europe, Middle East and South East Asian countries. 

Omed, antipeptic ulcer drug, produced by an independent medicine patent by SK Chemical Life Science Research Institute passed the test by the BfArM, Germany in 1999 for the first finished drug in Korea and began export to Germany and Ireland through Stada. 
Omed spread out to Iceland through Omega and to the UK, Netherland, Belgium and Luxemburg through the contract with Teva. 

In 2004, Omed became the first medicine product to export its technology into the US market. 

Joins tablet is sold in Australia and New Zealand after passing the test of Suwon plant and Ansan plant from the Australian government in February 2001, and the approval of TGA(Therapeutic Goods Administration/ charge : TGA Chief GMP Auditor, Robert Tribe) with ‘Australia GMP(Good Manufacturing Practice) certification.’
The sales negotiation of ‘Joins’ of SK Chemical is being carried out with major Asian countries and the US market partners.  

Ginexin?F tablet is exported to the EU market, the home for ginkgo biloba extract. The success of global brand marketing of Ginexin-F to the local people who prefer the best brand is a case that demonstrated the excellence of our medicine.

‘SK Trast Patch’ began its marketing activity in Beijing and Tianjin through the sales approval of SFDA(State Food & Drug Administration) in China in August 2006. 

In 2007, the company expanded its marketing area to Shanghai by establishing Shanghai branch from the Beijing local corporation. In 2008, the sales of Trast have been expanded to the whole area in China including Jiangsu, Shangdong, Wuhan, and Chungching in 2009. 
In May 2011 it made a sales contract with Saudi Center for Pharmaceuticals and completed its first shipping. The company has a plan to expand its market to whole Middle East area from 2014 onward. 

 
The best R&D pharmaceutical in Korea

SK Chemical has the best R&D capacity in Korea. It demonstrated its technological excellence not only from the number of new drugs, but also from whole areas including synthetic, natural and bio new medicines.

In 1999, it produced ‘the 3rd generation anti-cancer drug ‘Sunpla’ Korea’s 1st new drug. No.1 new drug in Korea. In 2007, it began to sale Mvix, Korea’s No. 13 new drug and the 3rd new drug of SK Chemical, which is the no 1 in the IIEF. SK Chemical is proud of its outstanding new drug development in synthetic drug. 

In natural new drug area, the sales of Joins tablet in 1999 created a syndrome in developing natural medicine domestically and internationally. Joins with its fundamental treatment effect of arthritis, succeeded in commercialization by the 10 billion won sales in a short period of time. 
It was introduced widely in overseas including TIMES in the US and other journals. It began its export to Australia and New Zealand from 2011 expecting the progress into the EU, the USA, China and the Middle East. 

SK Chemical has invested R&D for about 10~15% out of the sales since 2000 which is very daunting figure among pharmaceutical companies in Korea. 
The company completed the first eco-friendly research institution in Pangyo in November 2010 to secure the best R&D investment, personnel and working environment. 

Pioneering the bio market beyond synthetic drugs

SK Chemical has endeavored to develop vaccines and bio medicines through the merger of In2Gen, a bio R&D specialized company. 
This year, it expanded Bio section and planned to carry out active R&D and marketing through new personnel recruitment for expanding the bio HR pool.

Through the established new vaccine production complex and R&D for bio/vaccine area it aims to localize vaccines and to develop next generation vaccines. 

The background of advancement of SK Chemical has hidden endeavor and passion. 

SK Chemical began vaccine business as the next growth power in 2006, and accelerated its advancement into the bio medical area by merging In2Gen in 2008. 
In 2008, it succeeded the licensing out of new technology of anti cancer drug to Europe and in 2009, it made a new drug technical licensing out contract with CSL, a multinational bio medical company in Australian. 

The advancement of production goes together. Last year the company set up an MOU with Xcellerex (CEO Guy Broadbent), a bio medicine and vaccine production company in the US. 

As a result, it enabled to adapt next generation production technology with efficiency and flexibility to change its production line promptly when unexpected epidemics such as swine flu spread.

In 2010, the company was appointed as a participation company for [Customized vaccine raw material production supporting project] sponsored by Gyeongsangbuk-do and Andong-si and promoted by Gyeongbuk Institute for Bio Industry to establish vaccine production complex using cell culture method, a next generation technology. 

When SK Chemical Andong Vaccine Plant with 140million dose size annually is completed in 2013, it will contribute to stable vaccine supply and to advance into overseas markets. 

The best ‘R&D’ the key for future growth

SK Chemical is active in the global market. The company succeeded in the export of SID-530, an anti-cancer drug, to a multinational pharmaceutical company in the EU in later 2008, followed by licensing out of a new drug technology of intractable diseases in 2009. 

Currently, SID-530 carries out the first clinical test aiming to the US and the EU markets for the 1st quarter of the year. The license agreement of SID-530 in the EU, Africa and Central Asia has been completed, and the US sales agreement is being negotiated.

The licensing out of a new drug will continue this year. The first clinical test for SID 820, the gastritis drug, will be carried out in the US and the EU at the same time. In particular, SK Chemical will take responsibilities for production and supply of products in the EU market which will be an opportunity to demonstrate global production capacity of SK Chemical. 

The natural new drug of SK Chemical will go on. SK Chemical suggested its possibility of natural new drug by releasing no. 1 natural new drug in Korea, Joins tablet. 

Currently, natural new drug on dementia, asthma and gastritis is almost in the final stage of development. The asthma drug is being carried out its 2nd clinical test, dementia is completed its 2nd clinical test, and the gastritis drug is preparing for its 3rd clinical test. It is expected that a gastritis drug and a dementia drug will be released in 2013, and an asthma drug will be produced in 2014. 

There are many more projects under development for chronic and intractable diseases without side-effects. Pre-clinical candidates are almost confirmed and it is expected to consolidate natural new pipe line if it goes to clinical tests.

President Lee In Seok of SK Chemical LS Biz remarked that “we expanded our business portfolio to medical service, medical device area as well as medicine area. By intensifying our R&D capacity in natural, synthetic and bio new medicine area, we are going to leap into a global leading company. And based on this effort, SK Chemical Life Science Biz shall contribute to the health and quality of life of the human kind with its total health care solution.