The research and development (R&D) trend in the biopharmaceutical industry is focusing on new anticancer drugs. The field is gaining interest, especially following the clinical success of Yuhan Corp's Leclaza (ingredient: Lazertinib) and HLB's rivoceranib.

In particular, most biotech companies in South Korea are confirming the clinical potential of drugs in combination with Keytruda. Keytruda is an immune checkpoint inhibitor developed by MSD and a successful blockbuster medicine with over 30 indications in South Korea alone. Keytruda's global sales this year are expected to amount to KRW 3.5 billion.

Almost all biotech companies in South Korea aim to out-license their technologies to MS