●  SK Chemical focuses on R&D 

SK Chemical (CEO and Vice-chairman Kim Chang Geun) continues to create output in natural, bio and synthetic medicine development with accumulated R&D capacity and the best production capacity in Korea.

The company has endeavored to develop vaccines and bio medicines based on the excellent R&D ability with the sole development of 3 new drugs in Korea. 

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. 

The advancement of production goes together. Last year the company set up 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. 

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.

SK Chemical will continue to keep its effort to advance into the global market to show excellence of domestic medicines with accumulated R&D know-how and production advancement.