[Edaily Reporter YU JIN-HEE ] While the domestic stock market has recently been showing mixed trends without a clear direction, the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors have been on an upward trend, driven by clear prospects for earnings improvement and significant momentum. In particular, buying interest has been concentrated on companies that have secured solid financial structures, expanded their own high-performance brands, and entered the final stages of obtaining global approvals.

Psomagen, Inc. Achieves Record-High Earnings Amid Financial Restructuring

According to KG Zeroin MP DOCTOR, on the 1st, the stock price of Somagen ( Psomagen, Inc.(950200)), a company specializing in genomic analysis, surged 18.21% from the previous trading day to close at 3,310 won on the KOSDAQ market, ranking among the top gainers in the biotech sector.

Psomagen, Inc.’s recent surge is interpreted as the result of a performance turnaround—marking a complete break from its chronic loss structure—combined with groundbreaking measures to improve its financial structure. Last year, Psomagen, Inc. achieved record-high revenue of 59.2 billion won on a consolidated basis, marking a 35.5% increase from the previous year (43.7 billion won). During the same period, the consolidated operating loss was more than halved, falling from 5.2 billion won to 2.2 billion won. On a standalone basis (excluding subsidiaries), the company succeeded in turning its annual operating profit positive for the first time since its founding, thereby securing market confidence.

Furthermore, the announcement of a board resolution on the 30th of last month—to reduce capital surplus by $75 million (approximately 116.6 billion won) and fully offset the accumulated deficit of $61.33 million (approximately 95.4 billion won)—served as a catalyst. As a result, the company has completely eliminated its accumulated deficit on the books and established a financial foundation that allows it to fully accumulate future profits as retained earnings. The company explained that this accounting treatment is merely a transfer between accounts on the books and does not result in any actual changes to equity or the number of shares issued.

A stable order intake environment is also supporting the stock price rise. Psomagen, Inc. continues to secure next-generation sequencing (NGS) projects from major global partners, including U.S. government agencies and the Michael J. Fox Foundation, while revenue from direct-to-consumer (DTC) genomic analysis services—primarily in Japan—has more than doubled year-over-year. Furthermore, the company recently obtained clinical laboratory certification in the “molecular genetics testing” field—known for its stringent requirements—from the New York State Department of Health, thereby qualifying to enter North America’s largest market. With expectations that the company will also benefit from the exclusion of Chinese firms following the implementation of the U.S. Biosecure Act, analysts view this as a positive sign for achieving the mid- to long-term revenue target of 100 billion won.

Hong Soo, CEO of Psomagen, Inc., emphasized, “Following last year’s operating profit on a standalone basis, this measure to offset accumulated losses has further strengthened our financial soundness,” adding, “We will continue to steadily build up retained earnings through solid business performance going forward.”

‘GFC Life Science Co., Ltd.’ Embarks on Full-Scale B2C Operations and Global Channel Expansion

GFC Life Science(388610), a company specializing in biomaterials, also drew market attention, closing at 5,470 won—a 12.09% increase from the previous trading day. The driving force behind GFC Life Science Co., Ltd.’s rise lies in its successful transformation from a business model centered on business-to-business (B2B) transactions to a high-value-added business-to-consumer (B2C) market. The company made a full-scale entry into the beauty market last March by launching “fmk,” a high-performance derma skincare brand that integrates its proprietary bio-raw material technology. It actively targeted the ingredient-driven consumer trend by prominently featuring high-concentration, high-performance products such as the Firming Kit—containing 500,000 ppm of salmon-derived polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN)—and the Brightening Kit, which incorporates vitamin C and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN).

The brand also maximized the freshness of its active ingredients by adopting the freeze-drying method used in professional skin booster treatments. It further established its unique value by scientifically validating the skin-acting mechanisms of its proprietary plant-derived exosomes (from camellia, fish mint, lavender, etc.). fmk is rapidly expanding its brand awareness by expanding beyond its initial official online store to major platforms popular with the MZ generation, such as KakaoTalk Store, Able, and Zigzag. In offline channels as well, the company is diversifying its touchpoints by securing distribution through “Korea Pharmacy,” a major pharmacy chain.

This proactive B2C strategy is directly translating into revenue growth. GFC Life Science Co., Ltd.’s first-quarter revenue reached 5.04 billion won, and operating profit stood at 460 million won, representing year-over-year increases of 12.2% and 16.7%, respectively. Net income surged 59.9% to 480 million won, demonstrating a clear upward trend. Going forward, the company plans to diversify its portfolio into a total derma brand by adding pore care and soothing care product lines. At the same time, it intends to accelerate its expansion into global B2C markets—including TikTok Shop and Amazon in the U.S.—based on U.S. cosmetics regulations (MOCRA) and European certification (CPNP) standards, which is expected to drive further growth in corporate value.

A GFC Life Science Co., Ltd. official stated, “We will actively promote our freeze-dried kit line through new products and lay the groundwork for global market expansion,” adding, “We will continue to pursue diversification of our revenue structure by strengthening both our B2B materials business and B2C brand business.”

Chinese Toxin Approval Imminent... JETEMA Co.,Ltd. Secures Foothold in U.S. Skin Booster

Market
JETEMA Co.,Ltd., a company specializing in medical aesthetics, joined the double-digit rally, closing at 5,490 won—up 10.57% from the previous day.

JETEMA Co.,Ltd.’s recent surge was largely driven by the simultaneous materialization of major momentum factors targeting China and the U.S., the world’s largest cosmetic surgery markets. Last May, JETEMA Co.,Ltd. received approval for the Clinical Study Report (CSR) for its botulinum toxin product “JTM201” in China, ultimately proving its non-inferiority in improving glabellar wrinkles compared to the original control group, as well as its safety. Based on this, the company has solidified its roadmap to apply for a Biologics License Application (BLA) with the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and officially launch the product in the second half of 2027. The company has already signed a 10-year supply contract worth a total of 5500억 원 with “Huadong Aesthetics,” which possesses a strong distribution network in China; this ensures exclusive annual sales of at least 550억 won upon launch, which is a major draw.

In addition, JETEMA Co.,Ltd.’s strategy to target the U.S. market also drove up its stock price. Rather than waiting for approval of new fillers and botulinum toxin products—a process that typically takes several years—JETEMA Co.,Ltd. will enter the U.S. skin booster market in the third quarter of this year by combining its non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid (HA) asset for arthritis treatment—which has already secured a regulatory foundation in the U.S.—with a multi-needle automatic injection device that has a history of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Although the U.S. accounts for half of the global aesthetic market, Zetema’s market share in the regulated skin booster sector is virtually nonexistent. The company’s strategic plan is to leverage its proven infrastructure to secure a foothold in local U.S. medical spa distribution networks and hospital channels, with the intention of integrating its own products into these channels in the future.

In addition, JETEMA Co.,Ltd. has added a new growth engine in the field of ophthalmic treatment. JETEMA Co.,Ltd. recently announced that it is seeking product approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) by the end of the year for an eye drop treatment for presbyopia, which recently completed Phase 3 clinical trials in Korea. The product maintains its efficacy in improving near vision for approximately six hours after administration.

JETEMA Co.,Ltd. stated, “We will expand our existing business portfolio, which has focused on medical aesthetics, into the well-aging healthcare sector,” adding, “We will achieve early market penetration in the presbyopia treatment market based on our differentiated competitive edge.”