[Edaily Reporter KIM SAE-MI ] Jin Yang-gon, Chairman of #HLB INC., has acquired additional shares in HLB innoVation(024850)and HLB Therapeutics(115450) through a personal investment corporation, following his previous purchases under his personal name.

HLB Group announced on the 2nd that Epoque, a financial investment firm in which Chairman Jin holds a 99% stake, recently purchased additional shares of HLB innoVation and HLB Therapeutics on the open market.

Epoque purchased 218,718 shares of HLB innoVation on the open market in four separate transactions between the 23rd of last month and the 1st of this month. As a result, Epoque’s holdings of HLB innoVation shares increased from 75,694 to 294,412 shares (a 0.27% stake).

It also purchased additional shares of HLB Therapeutics. Epoke bought 130,584 shares of HLB Therapeutics on the open market in three separate transactions on the 23rd and 30th of last month and on the 1st of this month. Consequently, its holdings increased from 41,688 shares to 172,272 shares (a 0.20% stake).

Both companies are set to announce clinical trial results for their key new drug candidates within the year.

HLB Therapeutics is conducting a global Phase 3 clinical trial (SEER-2) for “RGN-259,” a therapeutic candidate for neurotrophic keratitis (NK). The company plans to announce topline results next month.

HLB innoVation’s U.S. subsidiary, Verismo Therapeutics, is developing “SynKIR-110,” a CAR-T therapy for solid tumors, and “SynKIR-310,” a CAR-T therapy for blood cancers. SynKIR-310, which is being developed for patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma, is scheduled to have its Phase 1 interim results presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting this December.

Chairman Jin has also been steadily purchasing shares of HLB Group affiliates in his personal capacity this year. Chairman Jin has purchased approximately 1.22 million shares of affiliates—including HLB innoVation ( HLB PANAGENE(046210)), HLB Therapeutics ( GenoFocus, Inc.(187420)), HLBbioStep(278650), and ANYGEN CO., LTD.(196300) —on the open market in a total of 62 transactions this year.

An HLB INC. official stated, “Chairman Jin has been consistently purchasing shares of group affiliates in his personal name this year, and this time, he has also acquired additional stakes in major affiliates through his personal corporation,” adding, “This demonstrates his confidence in the group’s pipeline of future products and the medium- to long-term growth potential of each affiliate.”