[Edaily Reporter Kim Jinsoo ] On the 22nd, news of management control sales by biotech companies drew significant attention in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. Shares of vaccine developer Cellid Co., Ltd. surged after it announced a partnership with Huniverse Global, while shares of pharmaceutical distributor and platform company BLUEMTEC CO., LTD. rose sharply following its partnership with the Kolmar Group.

Inventera Inc. drew investor interest after announcing that it had obtained meaningful data from the Phase 3 clinical trial of its magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent currently under development.

Cellid Co., Ltd. Sells Controlling Stake…CEO Kang to Remain in Role

On that day

, Cellid

Co., Ltd.’s stock price ( Cellid Co., Ltd.(299660) ) reached the daily price limit early in the session and closed at 2,885 won, up 665 won (29.95%) from the previous day. Analysts attribute the rise in Cellid Co., Ltd.’s stock price to the company’s announcement of plans to conduct a 10 billion won third-party private placement and sell its controlling stake.

Cellid Co., Ltd. announced on the 21st that it had signed an “Agreement Regarding Changes in Management Control, etc.” with Huniverse Global through the issuance of new shares. Under this agreement, Cellid Co., Ltd. will issue 4,796,163 common shares to Huniverse Global via a third-party allocation. The issue price is 2,086 won per share, bringing the total subscription amount to 9,999,999,855 won. The scheduled payment date for the capital increase is November 9.

The company plans to allocate the 10 billion won to be raised toward existing research and development (R&D) and clinical trials, as well as new business ventures with Huniverse Global and the establishment of a joint platform.

If the funds are paid as scheduled, Hunevers Global will become Cellid Co., Ltd.’s new largest shareholder. Kang Chang-yul, Cellid Co., Ltd.’s CEO and current largest shareholder, will become the second-largest shareholder.

There will also be changes to the management structure. Subject to Hunevers Global’s payment for the new shares and the attraction of investment in convertible bonds (CBs) through new investment funds, four directors and one auditor designated by Hunevers Global will be appointed. The new board of directors will consist of four directors designated by Hunevers Global and two directors designated by Cellid Co., Ltd., and the CEO will also be appointed from among individuals designated by Hunevers Global.

Even after the change in the largest shareholder, CEO Kang Chang-yul is expected to continue participating in Cellid Co., Ltd.’s business. According to Cellid Co., Ltd., as the second-largest shareholder, CEO Kang will be responsible for driving the commercialization of the currently ongoing anticancer treatment vaccine and COVID-19 preventive vaccine, while also identifying new business opportunities with Huniverse Global.

Cellid Co., Ltd. views this capital increase not as a mere financial investment but as an investment aimed at fostering strategic cooperation between the two companies. Huniverse Global’s core businesses include software development and supply, as well as the exchange and management of medical data; the company has developed the Precision Healthcare Information System (PHIS) and implemented related systems in hospitals across South Korea.

Cellid Co., Ltd. plans to integrate the medical data and precision medicine infrastructure that Huniverse Global possesses or can utilize into the development of its anti-cancer immunotherapy vaccines. In particular, the companies plan to collaborate in the development of personalized anti-cancer vaccines that reflect individual characteristics by linking Cellid Co., Ltd.’s “BVAC” anti-cancer immunotherapy vaccine pipeline with medical data.

In addition, Cellid Co., Ltd. is pursuing further funding. Following this capital increase, Cellid Co., Ltd. has agreed with Huniverse Global to secure additional funds necessary for advancing both its existing and new business initiatives.

Kang Chang-yul, CEO of Cellid Co., Ltd., stated, “This strategic investment and collaboration with Huniverse Global will serve as a major turning point in further enhancing the competitiveness of our BVAC anti-cancer immunotherapy pipeline,” adding, “We will push forward with the development of personalized anti-cancer vaccines utilizing medical big data.”

BLUEMTEC CO., LTD. Seeks Sale to Kolmar

BLUEMTEC CO., LTD.(439580) ’s stock price rose sharply in the afternoon, climbing as high as 3,485 won—a 26% intraday gain—but later gave up some of those gains, closing at 3,120 won, up approximately 13.87% from the previous day. BLUEMTEC CO., LTD.’s strong investor interest is believed to stem from the sale of its controlling stake.

According to investment banking (IB) industry sources, BLUEMTEC CO., LTD. is moving forward with the sale of its controlling stake. Reports indicate that KDB Investment will serve as the general partner (GP), while Kolmar Group will participate as a strategic investor (SI). A letter of commitment (LOC) for fund investment is expected to be drafted in early October.

If the transaction proceeds as planned, the Kolmar Group is expected to secure approximately 40% of BLUEMTEC CO., LTD.’s shares. The acquisition method under consideration involves purchasing existing shares from major shareholders while simultaneously acquiring new shares through a third-party allocation capital increase. The estimated transaction value is in the 70 billion won range. Compared to BLUEMTEC CO., LTD.’s market capitalization, this price is interpreted as reflecting a control premium.

In particular, analysts suggest that Kolmar Group expects this acquisition of controlling interest to facilitate the expansion of its distribution and sales channels for pharmaceuticals and other products. BLUEMTEC CO., LTD.’s core asset is its digital distribution network connected to hospitals and clinics nationwide. The company has grown based on “BluePharm Korea,” a B2B e-commerce platform for prescription drugs. As of the first quarter of this year, it had approximately 36,200 members and maintains a network of hospitals and clinics covering 68.4% of all outpatient healthcare facilities nationwide.

In addition to BluePharm Korea, BLUEMTEC CO., LTD. is expanding its business in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors by operating “BlueFeed,” a non-face-to-face sales support solution for pharmaceutical companies; “BlueDoc,” a job-matching platform for medical professionals; “MD Square,” a telemedicine platform; and “MediStaff,” a communication platform for medical students and residents. Considering BLUEMTEC CO., LTD.’s distribution network of approximately 36,000 hospitals and clinics, the most direct synergy from a potential acquisition of BLUEMTEC CO., LTD. by the Kolmar Group is likely to come from HK inno.N Corporation.

Currently, while the Kolmar Group possesses capabilities in pharmaceutical development, production, and marketing, it does not have its own online distribution platform that directly connects to hospitals and clinics nationwide. Therefore, if the Kolmar Group acquires BLUEMTEC CO., LTD., it could establish an integrated structure spanning from pharmaceutical production to sales, distribution, and logistics.

A BLUEMTEC CO., LTD. official briefly stated, “We have nothing to say at this time.”

Inventera Inc. Rises on Successful Phase 3 Trial of New Contrast Agent Candidate

#Inventera Inc.’s stock price rose 18.86% from the previous day to 13,800 won. The rise appears to be driven by

the successful

clinical trial of “INV-002,”

a new

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

contrast agent

candidate, announced around the close of trading the previous day.

On the 21st, Inventera Inc. announced that “INV-002 (NEMO-103),” an iron-based nano MRI contrast agent candidate currently under development, met all primary endpoints in a Phase 3 clinical trial in South Korea. Based on the final Clinical Study Report (CSR), Inventera Inc. plans to submit a marketing authorization application to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in the fourth quarter of this year.

This clinical trial was conducted at eight tertiary general hospitals in Korea with 85 patients who had or were suspected of having shoulder joint disorders and required magnetic resonance arthrography (MR arthrography). A comparison of non-contrast MRI images with MR arthrography images using INV-002 in the same patients revealed statistically significant improvements in all primary endpoints, including joint swelling, contrast, and image clarity (p<0.0001). Significant data were also obtained for secondary endpoints such as the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and lesion-to-background ratio (LBR).

INV-002 is a T1 nano-MRI contrast agent that uses iron instead of gadolinium and was developed to be administered directly into the joint cavity without the need for separate dilution or preparation. Currently, there are no contrast agents specifically approved for MR arthrography, so gadolinium-based intravenous contrast agents are often diluted and used for this purpose.

Inventera Inc. expects that, if INV-002 is approved, it will reduce the burden of dilution and preparation for medical staff and establish a unique position as a contrast agent specifically designed for MR arthrography.

An Inventera Inc. official stated, “Based on its unique iron-based formulation and its specialized formulation for joint imaging, we will secure a leading position in the MR arthrography contrast agent market.”