[Edaily Reporter Minji Son ] During the second week of August (August 10–14), JWPHARMACEUTICAL(001060)in the pharmaceutical and biotech sector drew attention by successively announcing strong first-half earnings and the results of the Phase 3 clinical trial for its gout treatment candidate “Efamynurad.” Meanwhile, labor and management at SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS(207940), which had been engaged in protracted wage and collective bargaining negotiations, entered a new phase of negotiations after accepting the “post-negotiation mediation” proposed by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

JWPHARMACEUTICAL: Successes in Both Earnings and New Drug Development

This week, JWPHARMACEUTICAL announced that its preliminary second-quarter standalone revenue totaled 220.3 billion won, with operating profit at 33.7 billion won. This represents a 16.1% increase in revenue and a 32.7% increase in operating profit compared to the same period last year. Net income stood at 27.1 billion won, marking a turnaround from a loss in the same period last year to a profit.

By business segment, prescription drugs (ETC), intravenous solutions, and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs all grew steadily, driving improvements in both revenue and profitability.

Second-quarter ETC sales reached 183.2 billion won, a 17.8% increase compared to the same period last year. Key products, including the “Livaro” line of dyslipidemia treatments, the iron injection “Ferineject,” and the benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment “TruePass,” continued to show strong growth. Sales of intravenous solutions also rose 13.7% to 72.4 billion won, while OTC sales increased 19.9% to 14.7 billion won.

Topline results from the multinational Phase 3 clinical trial of “Efamynurad,” a gout treatment candidate, released on the same day, also drew attention. This trial was conducted at 52 institutions across five Asian countries—including South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore—and involved 612 gout patients.

In the 6 mg efaminurad group—the primary dose—50.0% of patients maintained serum uric acid levels below 6 mg/dL during the final three measurements at Week 24 of the trial. This exceeded the 38.3% rate observed in the 40 mg febuxostat control group, confirming statistical superiority.

However, the 9 mg efaminurad dose failed to demonstrate non-inferiority when compared to 80 mg febuxostat. The rates of achieving serum uric acid levels below 6 mg/dL were 59.6% for 9 mg efaminurad and 63.3% for 80 mg febuxostat.

Efamynurad selectively inhibits the uric acid transporter URAT1, which is involved in the reabsorption of uric acid in the kidneys, thereby promoting the excretion of uric acid from the body. The company is developing the drug with the goal of becoming a “best-in-class” new drug by differentiating its efficacy and safety compared to existing treatments.

SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS Labor and Management Seek Breakthrough Through Post-Mediation Adjustment Labor-management

negotiations at SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS have also reached a turning point. The previous day

,

SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS management and the Win-Win Labor Union accepted the

post-mediation adjustment

procedure proposed by the Central Regional Employment and Labor Office under the Ministry of Employment and Labor and signed the relevant documents. The documents are scheduled to be submitted to the Incheon Regional Labor Relations Commission.

Post-mediation is a system in which the Labor Relations Commission steps in again to facilitate an agreement between labor and management even after formal labor dispute mediation has concluded. Although the composition of the mediation committee and the specific schedule have not yet been determined, it is reported that both sides have reached a consensus to proceed with mediation promptly once the committee is formed.

Previously, labor and management at SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS had been engaged in wage and collective bargaining negotiations since late last year. The union demanded an average base salary increase of at least 14%, a 30 million won incentive payment per employee, a 15% performance bonus based on operating profit (down from the previous 20%), and the removal of the cap on bonuses; however, management proposed a 6.2% base salary increase and a one-time payment of 6 million won.

In response, the union staged a partial strike in April of this year and, in May, launched its first full-scale strike since the company’s founding. Since then, it has continued its “law-abiding struggle,” including refusing to work overtime or on holidays. However, with this agreement, it is now highly likely that the negotiations—which had been stuck in a prolonged stalemate—will gain momentum again. All eyes are on whether the Labor Relations Commission’s mediation will lead to a resolution of the wage and collective bargaining negotiations.