[Kim Jin Soo, Edaily Reporter] South Korean healthcare stocks were mixed on Monday as investors reacted to dividend plans, patent developments, and expectations for overseas sales.

INFINITT Healthcare hit its daily trading limit after announcing a cash dividend plan totaling 65.4 billion won ($47 million). Samik Pharmaceutical jumped nearly 20% after disclosing a patent for a long-acting injectable technology, while Jetema rose on expectations that exports of its botulinum toxin product to Thailand will boost earnings.

INFINITT Healthcare Hits Daily Limit on Dividend Plan

INFINITT Healthcare shares surged to the daily upper limit at the open and closed at 11,310 won, according to KG Zeroin’s MP Doctor, formerly MarketPoint.

The rally followed the company’s announcement after the market closed on Friday that it plans to pay a total of 65.4 billion won in cash dividends between 2026 and 2027 as part of efforts to enhance shareholder value.

The company plans to pay 820 won per share for the third quarter of 2026, 1,230 won per share as a year-end dividend for fiscal 2026, and 631 won per share in the second quarter of 2027, for a combined total of 2,681 won per share.

INFINITT Healthcare develops and supplies medical information technology solutions. Its main products include picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), which store, manage, and transmit medical images, as well as three-dimensional medical imaging software.

The company’s ability to fund the dividend stems largely from retained earnings and financial assets accumulated over the years. The decision also comes amid calls from minority shareholders for stronger shareholder returns and governance reforms.

Tensions between INFINITT Healthcare and minority shareholders intensified after investors criticized the company for maintaining a no-dividend policy while paying management consulting fees to its largest shareholder, Solborn, and maintaining what they described as a family-centered governance structure.

Last year, minority shareholders sought to remove the incumbent auditor and appoint a new one. The dispute escalated into litigation after the company passed amendments tightening eligibility requirements for auditors.

INFINITT Healthcare, which had long maintained a no-dividend policy, introduced quarterly dividends in 2025 after the shareholder dispute intensified. It has now decided to return approximately 65.4 billion won—effectively all of its legally available distributable reserves—to shareholders.

“This dividend does not require any special financing,” a company official said. “We are using distributable reserves available under the Commercial Act to make quarterly dividend payments.”

Samik Pharma Rides the Wave of Long-Acting Injectable Patent

Samik Pharmaceutical shares rose 19.6% to close at 9,430 won, as investors focused on the company’s long-acting injectable technology.

The company announced Monday that it completed domestic patent registration on August 27 for a microsphere technology designed to gradually release the immune-modulating peptide thymosin alpha 1 in the body for up to four weeks.

The formulation is intended to reduce the burden of repeated injections required for thymosin alpha 1.

Thymosin alpha 1 is a peptide that regulates immune function and may require repeated dosing to maintain its therapeutic effect. Samik Pharmaceutical developed a formulation that encapsulates the drug in tiny biodegradable polymer particles.

The particles gradually break down in the body, releasing thymosin alpha 1 over time rather than all at once. The company designed the formulation to sustain drug release for up to four weeks.

“Based on this patented technology, we believe we can develop a long-acting thymosin alpha 1 injection that reduces dosing frequency and ultimately allows for once-monthly administration,” said a Samik Pharmaceutical official.

Still, questions remain regarding the commercial competitiveness of Samik’s long-acting injectable technology. The patent does not mean a once-monthly product is ready for commercialization; further research, clinical development, and regulatory approval would be required.

Samik Pharmaceutical’s stock rally also appeared to benefit from renewed investor interest in South Korean companies developing long-acting injectable technologies amid uncertainty surrounding Peptron.

Peptron stated on its website Friday that October 7 marks a date related to the initial term of its joint research agreement with Eli Lilly and does not represent a deadline for signing a subsequent commercial agreement.

Peptron and Lilly signed a platform technology evaluation agreement on October 7, 2024, to assess whether Peptron’s SmartDepot technology could be applied to peptide drugs owned by Lilly. Peptron also granted Lilly a nonexclusive license for the evaluation.

In a revised disclosure last December, Peptron added a “maximum 24 months” provision to a contract period that had previously been described as approximately 14 months. Investors had expected clarity on a potential follow-on agreement by October 7 of this year.

Peptron shares fell 5.27% to 138,300 won on Monday as uncertainty over the timing of any commercial agreement increased.

Jetema Rises on Thailand Growth Expectations

Jetema shares gained 6.91% to 7,120 won, reflecting expectations that its expansion into Thailand could begin contributing more significantly to revenue.

Jetema received marketing approval from Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration in June for its botulinum toxin product, Jetema The Toxin 100U, paving the way for a broader push into the Thai market.

This approval marked Jetema’s first overseas marketing authorization for a botulinum toxin product.

The company had signed a five-year supply agreement worth about $32 million—or roughly 44 billion won—with a Thai partner in 2024. Following regulatory approval, Jetema plans to expand shipments and sales through its local partner, Aestema.

Jetema said it intends to leverage Aestema’s medical aesthetics sales network in Thailand, along with the marketing infrastructure already established through the sale of dermal fillers.

Thailand’s botulinum toxin market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. According to Grand View Research, Thailand’s botulinum toxin drug market is projected to grow from approximately $69 million in 2025 to $74.1 million in 2026. The research firm expects the market to expand at an average annual rate of about 10% from 2026 through 2040, reaching approximately $282.5 million by 2040.

“We believe expectations for toxin exports to Thailand and their potential contribution to earnings were reflected in the share price,” a Jetema official said. “Investor interest also appears to have increased as Jetema’s expansion into Thailand has continued to be discussed on video-based investment platforms.”