Attendees pose for a commemorative photo at the 2026 HLB Forum held on Tuesday at the Sofitel Ambassador Seoul in Songpa-gu, Seoul / Provided by HLB Group

HLB Group is eagerly anticipating U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for two groundbreaking cancer drugs targeting liver and bile duct cancers. This milestone comes after two decades of rigorous development, with the company's commercial success now hanging in the balance.

Jin Yang-gon, Chairman of HLB Group, unveiled ambitious plans to launch these two cancer treatments in the U.S. market this year, aiming to catapult the company into the ranks of global pharmaceutical giants. The strategy involves intensifying collaboration across subsidiaries to maximize the commercial potential of their innovative technologies and drug pipelines.

On Tuesday, HLB Group convened the 2026 HLB Forum at the Sofitel Ambassador in Seoul's Songpa district. The event brought together a distinguished assembly of domestic and international scholars, medical professionals, and industry experts. The forum's objective was to delve into the evolving global biotech landscape and share strategies for next-generation drug development. This year's theme, The DNA of Success: Continuous Innovation; Unyielding Challenges, set the tone for the discussions.

In his opening address, Chairman Jin exuded confidence, declaring that this marks a pivotal moment in HLB's trajectory towards becoming a global pharmaceutical powerhouse. The continuous commercialization efforts and next-generation platforms are the springboard for this leap. It's committed to flourishing through relentless research and development.

He emphasized that its vision extends beyond mere success; they're aiming for sustainable growth. We'll continue to embody the motto of Human Life Better through ongoing research, development, and groundbreaking innovation.

The event drew an impressive roster of experts and medical professionals. Attendees included representatives from HLB's domestic and international bio subsidiaries, alongside notable figures such as Park Young-min, director of the National New Drug Development Project (KDDF), Professor Donald Siegel from the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Richard Kim from the Moffitt Cancer Center, Dr. Yoo Chang-hoon from Asan Medical Center, Dr. Ahn Myung-joo from Hanyang University Hospital, and Professor Lee Yoon-hee from Seoul National University's College of Pharmacy.

Park Young-min, Director of the Korea Drug Development Fund &#40;KDDF&#41;, is delivering a presentation at the 2026 HLB Forum held at the Sofitel Ambassador Seoul on Tuesday / Provided by HLB

Park Young-min, head of KDDF, highlighted the significance of HLB Group's pioneering work in developing new treatments for liver and bile duct cancers. He stressed that China has emerged as a crucial partner for collaboration, and HLB Group's alliance with Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine carries immense strategic importance.

Park continued that the substantial investment, unwavering passion, and extensive experience accumulated by HLB Group over two decades will undoubtedly propel Korea's pharmaceutical industry and new drug development to new heights. He's confident that HLB Group will successfully overcome the hurdle of limited global experience.

He drew an inspiring comparison, noting that consider Switzerland and Denmark - nations smaller than Korea in both area and population, yet home to pharmaceutical giants like Roche, Novartis, and Novo Nordisk. There's no reason Korea can't achieve similar success. With the right policies and an influx of talent into this sector, it could see the emergence of Korean big pharma in the near future.

The forum also provided insights into strategies for CAR-T therapies, RNA vaccines, and the next steps following ribociclib.

The opening session explored Global Trends and HLB's New Modality Development Status, offering a comprehensive look at the shifting landscape of global drug development and the trajectory of next-generation treatment platforms.

Subsequently, the forum spotlighted the clinical progress of HLB Group's next-generation platform, which is pushing the boundaries of CAR-T therapies for solid tumors.

Professor Donald Siegel from the University of Pennsylvania presented cutting-edge research on CAR-T therapies, which are expanding beyond blood cancers to tackle solid tumors like ovarian and pancreatic cancers. Dr. Laura Johnson, Chief Scientific Officer at Verismo Therapeutics, detailed the ongoing U.S. Phase 1 trial of their KIR-CAR platform pipeline, highlighting its innovative approach to overcoming the limitations of existing technologies.

A press conference is currently underway at the 2026 HLB Forum, held at the Sofitel Ambassador Seoul on Tuesday. On the far right is Jin In-hye, Executive Director of Verismo Therapeutics / Provided by HLB

A notable moment during the event's press conference was the appearance of Jin In-hye, a second-generation executive at Verismo Therapeutics. Acting as interpreter for Professors Siegel and Johnson, Jin drew significant media attention, fielding questions about the company's strategic direction and drug commercialization roadmap.

The afternoon sessions delved into Next-Generation Cancer Pipeline Strategies Post-Ribociclib and examined evolving trends in regulations and diseases within the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors.

For HLB Group, this forum serves as a launchpad to refine its commercialization strategy for next-generation drug platforms and to proactively navigate the global regulatory landscape, all in pursuit of its ambition to join the ranks of global pharmaceutical leaders.

Nam Kyung-sook, Executive Director of Bio Strategy Planning at HLB Group, reflected on the forum's impact: In today's rapidly evolving research and development (R&D) landscape, this gathering provided a crucial opportunity to assess the technological standing and explore the potential of new modalities as drivers of future growth. The strategic insights shared with experts from around the world will be instrumental in honing the drug development and commercialization strategies, ultimately strengthening the competitive edge in the global market.

The 2026 HLB Forum was held on Tuesday at the Sofitel Ambassador Seoul / Provided by HLB Group

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