[Edaily Reporter NA EUN-KYUNG ] In October, the focus of the domestic pharmaceutical and biotech market is expected to shift to follow-up contracts by drug delivery system (DDS) companies and clinical results to be presented at global academic conferences.

Peptron, Inc.(087010)This month marks two years since the company began joint research with Eli Lilly. Inventage Lab Inc.(389470)and #G2GBIO, Inc. are also awaiting validation results after providing long-acting injectable formulations to Boehringer Ingelheim. At upcoming conferences, AprilBio Co.,Ltd.(397030), FutureChem Co., Ltd.(220100), HLB INC.(028300), and SillaJen, Inc.(215600) will present clinical data.

Peptron, Inc.: Disappointment May Grow If There Is “No News” by October 7

Market attention is focused first and foremost on Peptron, Inc. On October 7, 2024, Peptron, Inc. signed a platform technology evaluation agreement with Lilly to apply its “SmartDepo” long-acting injection platform to peptide drugs. The evaluation period, originally expected to last about 14 months, was extended once in December of last year. The revised maximum evaluation period is 24 months from the contract signing date, ending on October 7 of this year.

Peptron, Inc. made it clear that October 7 is not the final deadline for a technology transfer agreement. This move is interpreted as an effort to manage market expectations in advance, in anticipation of the possibility that the signing of a follow-up agreement could be further delayed. Peptron, Inc. official stated, “October 7 is a date related to the basic term of the current joint research agreement and does not signify the deadline for signing a follow-up commercial agreement,” adding, “Reviews and discussions regarding follow-up collaboration may continue even after the joint research concludes.”

As the company explained, negotiations for a licensing agreement may continue even after the joint research concludes. However, the market’s focus on October 7 cannot be explained solely by its contractual significance. This is because Lilly’s evaluation has already lasted two years, and the originally anticipated end date has already been postponed once.

Therefore, if no information emerges around October 7—whether regarding technology transfer, follow-up joint development, contract extensions, or the conclusion of the evaluation—that could provide insight into the future direction, market disappointment is likely to grow. Given that Peptron, Inc.’s enterprise value has largely reflected expectations for a follow-up commercial agreement with Lilly, further delays in decision-making could lead to increased stock price volatility.

With the conclusion of Peptron, Inc.’s evaluation period coinciding with the verification periods for Inventage Lab Inc. and G2GBIO, Inc., attention in October is expected to focus on which of the three DDS companies will be the first to demonstrate its technological capabilities through a follow-up contract.

Inventage Lab Inc. began joint research with Boehringer Ingelheim on long-acting peptide injectables in September 2024. After identifying key candidate formulations in the first half of 2025, the companies extended the contract term and signed a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA). Boehringer Ingelheim is currently conducting in vivo pharmacokinetic studies using the candidate formulations it received.

Kim Ju-hee, CEO of Inventage Lab Inc., told Edaily, “I understand that Boehringer Ingelheim reviewed numerous long-acting technologies and is currently providing the substance to only a select few companies for validation,” adding, “Inventage Lab Inc. is one of them, and we are diligently working on the related project.”

G2GBIO, Inc. signed two formulation development agreements with Boehringer Ingelheim in January and July 2025. The second agreement involves applying different Target Product Properties (TPPs) to the same candidate compound. The company announced that it completed formulation development last April and that Boehringer Ingelheim is currently conducting large-animal evaluations.

It is highly likely that the results of the joint research will not be announced separately. Accordingly, whether the collaboration expands to the next phase—such as additional formulation development, production of clinical samples, or licensing agreements—will serve as the de facto indicator of the technology validation results.

AprilBio Co.,Ltd., to Release Full Data on EVO301

At the “European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” (EADV 2026) conference, taking place in Vienna, Austria, from September 30 to October 3, AprilBio Co.,Ltd.(397030)will present the full results of the Phase 2a clinical trial for “EVO301,” an atopic dermatitis treatment licensed to Evomune.

The presentation will begin at 4:30 p.m. local time on October 1, which is 11:30 p.m. Korean Standard Time on the same day. Mark Revol, Professor Emeritus of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, will deliver the late-session oral presentation.

According to previously released topline results, EVO301 met its primary endpoint at Week 12 in a study involving 70 patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. The improvement in the Eczema Severity Assessment Index (EASI) was 33 percentage points compared to the placebo, and the proportion of patients with clear or almost clear skin was 23% in the EVO301 group versus 0% in the placebo group. No drug-related serious adverse events or treatment discontinuations due to adverse events were reported.

In these overall results, the depth and duration of individual patient responses, detailed safety data, and changes in biomarkers are key factors. EvoMune plans to begin a Phase 2b dose-finding trial using a subcutaneous injection formulation in mid-2027.

IMBiologics Corp.’s U.S. partner, Navigator Medicine, submitted an abstract of the integrated analysis of the NAV-240 Phase 1a/1b trials to the EADV, and the findings are expected to be presented. NAV-240 is a bispecific antibody that simultaneously inhibits tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and the OX40 ligand (OX40L); it is currently in a Phase 2a clinical trial as a treatment for moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa.

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by recurrent abscesses, inflammatory nodules, and fistulas, causing significant pain and a reduced quality of life. Since more than half of patients do not achieve a sufficient clinical response even with existing TNFα inhibitors, there is a high demand for treatments with new mechanisms of action. Since this clinical trial was conducted in healthy adults, the focus is less on therapeutic efficacy and more on safety with repeated dosing, low immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics supporting once-monthly dosing, and changes in biomarkers demonstrating the simultaneous inhibition of TNF-α and OX40L. Given that previous presentations confirmed predictable pharmacokinetics and dose-dependent biomarker reductions without serious adverse events or treatment discontinuations, the key focus at EADV will be on how specifically the company presents the detailed data supporting these findings and the rationale for dose selection in the Phase 2a clinical trial.

FutureChem Co., Ltd. FC705

Top-Line Results…

ESMO and World ADC Also in the Spotlight

FutureChem Co., Ltd.(220100)plans to release top-line results from the U.S. Phase 2a clinical trial of FC705, a radiopharmaceutical treatment for prostate cancer, in mid-October. The final Clinical Study Report (CSR) is expected to be released in November or December.

The company stated that it is considering a plan whereby multiple global pharmaceutical companies would review the clinical results before entering into agreements. Accordingly, tumor response, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) reduction, and safety are expected to be the key criteria in future technology transfer negotiations.

HLB INC.(028300), SillaJen, Inc.(215600), LigaChem Biosciences(141080), and Qurient Co., Ltd.(115180) will participate in the “European Society for Medical Oncology” (ESMO 2026) conference, to be held in Madrid, Spain, from October 23 to 27. Aptabio Therapeutics Inc.(293780)also plans to present the Phase 1 clinical trial design for Apta-16, a treatment for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia, via a poster at this year’s ESMO.

First, HLB INC.’s U.S. subsidiary, Eleva Therapeutics, will deliver a fast-track oral presentation on the results of a Phase 2 clinical trial of riboceranib in patients with metastatic thymic epithelial tumors who have received prior treatment. Post-hoc analyses of the combination therapy of camrelizumab and riboceranib, as well as of lirapugratinib, will also be presented.

SillaJen, Inc. will present results from the Phase 1 clinical trial of BAL0891, a dual TTK/PLK1 inhibitor, in patients with advanced solid tumors. The presentation will cover the safety and efficacy of both monotherapy and combination therapy with paclitaxel. LigaChem Biosciences will present preclinical results and the global clinical trial design for LCB02A, a Claudin 18.2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), while Qurient Co., Ltd. will disclose the results of the completed Phase 1 dose-escalation study for the CDK7 inhibitor mocasiclip.

Industry events will also take place. SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS, Lotte Biologics, Celltrion, and G2GBIO, Inc. will participate in “BioJapan,” held in Yokohama, Japan, from October 7 to 9. At “World ADC,” taking place in San Diego, U.S., from October 12 to 15, SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS, LigaChem Biosciences, Lotte Biologics, SK Pharmteco, and KYONGBO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD. will participate as official partners. This year, more than 1,300 industry professionals from over 400 companies are expected to gather for one-on-one partnering sessions, exhibitions, and private meetings, with discussions expected to focus on ADC technology adoption, joint development, and contract manufacturing. As LigaChem Biosciences seeks partners for platform and candidate compound collaborations, while the other CDMO companies look for contract manufacturing clients, a key point of interest will be whether the discussions initiated at the event lead to follow-up technology deals and new orders.

Notably, Mark Studer, Senior Director and Head of the ADC and Messenger RNA (mRNA) Operations Team at SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS, will deliver a presentation on October 14 at 12:30 p.m. local time (October 15 at 4:30 a.m. Korean time). The presentation is titled “From Facility Construction to Actual Operations: Key Success Factors for ADC GMP Production Ramp-Up.” During the session, he will share experiences gained from building ADC production capabilities and transitioning dedicated facilities to the actual GMP operational phase.

ADC production requires the conjugation of linkers and highly toxic drugs to antibodies, making sealed and isolated facilities, operator protection, and cross-contamination control essential. Since quality—including the drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) and impurity levels—must be consistently maintained even as process scale is expanded, experience in process development, analysis, and GMP production determines a CDMO’s competitiveness in securing orders.

SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS completed a dedicated ADC facility in Songdo in December 2024, equipped with a 500-liter conjugation reactor and a purification line, and began full-scale operations in this sector in 2025. LigaChem Biosciences is a key client that has been publicly confirmed. Following the signing of a contract for contract development (CDO) of antibodies and a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) in 2024, the two companies agreed to jointly undertake at least three ADC projects in 2025. The key question is whether SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS—which is currently in discussions with multiple companies, including big pharma, regarding ADC orders—will be able to leverage its GMP ramp-up experience at the dedicated facility and its production and operational capabilities to secure new clients through this World ADC event.