[Edaily Reporter YU JIN-HEE ] CELL BIOTECH CO ., LTD(049960), a company specializing in the microbiome, is achieving remarkable results in the European market—the leading region for probiotics. Having overcome stringent entry barriers, the company is projected to surpass 20 billion won in sales of health functional foods in Europe alone this year. Despite a slowdown in the domestic market, double-digit growth in total annual sales is virtually guaranteed thanks to rapid export expansion.

Dual-Coating Technology That Conquered the ‘Home of Probiotics’… No. 1 Market Share in Denmark

According to recent industry reports, CELL BIOTECH CO ., LTD’s sales in Europe this year are projected to exceed 20 billion won for the first time. As a result, CELL BIOTECH CO ., LTD is virtually certain to achieve its first-ever annual sales of 60 billion won this year, with overseas sales accounting for over 60% of its total revenue.

CELL BIOTECH CO ., LTD has already recorded 10.8 billion won in sales in the European market alone during the first half of this year. This represents a 43.6% surge compared to the same period last year (7.5 billion won). The export share—a key indicator of stable growth for pharmaceutical and biotech companies—has also surpassed 50%, leading to assessments that the company’s business structure has been fundamentally strengthened. Even amid intensifying competition and shrinking consumption in the domestic health supplement market, the company has carved out a breakthrough through its unparalleled expansion into overseas markets.

Behind this strong performance in the European market lies the company’s overwhelming technological credibility in Northern and Western Europe—the birthplace of probiotics. Notably, in the Danish pharmacy market—Christian Hansen’s home turf and the country where the company originated—CELL BIOTECH CO ., LTD’s flagship brand “DUOLAC” secured the top spot with a 46.6% market share. Chr. Hansen is the world’s largest global biotechnology and probiotics company, founded in 1874 by Danish pharmacist and chemist Christian D. A. Hansen. With a history spanning nearly 150 years, it is widely regarded in the industry as a “symbol of the probiotics and fermentation industry.”

This achievement is a result of the brand’s recognition for top-tier quality, given the nature of the pharmacy distribution network, where purchases are made following consultation with a licensed pharmacist. Remarkable results were also achieved in Germany, Europe’s largest dietary supplement market. Cumulative exports to Germany exceeded $30 million (approximately 40 billion won). Based on rigorous scientific data—including a clinical trial conducted with 106 newborns in collaboration with the University of Munich—the company has built trust by supplying its bacterial strains to local premium infant formula products.

The key to these achievements is the company’s proprietary “Dual Coating” technology, for which it has obtained global patents. This technology involves double-coating probiotics with proteins and polysaccharides to enable them to withstand attacks from stomach acid and bile acids. This technology has increased intestinal survival rates by up to 221 times compared to uncoated strains. Its survival stability has been verified even in extreme environments ranging from -70°C to 40°C, earning recognition for its global distribution competitiveness.

Building on this, CELL BIOTECH CO ., LTD is single-handedly blazing a trail that no other microbiome company has ventured down. Since 2013, the company has ranked first in domestic probiotic exports for 13 consecutive years. To date, it has achieved 268.8 billion won in exports on its own—nearly half of the country’s cumulative exports of 538.5 billion won. Expanding beyond Denmark and Germany to Asia, the Americas, and Oceania—and most recently achieving successful exports to South Africa—the company has established a global export network spanning 56 countries across six continents. This strong performance has bolstered market confidence in CELL BIOTECH CO ., LTD and is expected to further solidify its global standing in the future. This is also the reason why, despite the general undervaluation of biotech stocks this year, CELL BIOTECH CO ., LTD’s stock price was able to briefly re-enter the 18,000 won range—its highest level in three years.

Accelerating Product Portfolio Diversification… Setting Sights on the U.S. Premium Market

CELL BIOTECH CO ., LTD’s enterprise value is expected to grow further as positive factors, such as accelerated exports and new drug development, continue to emerge. In fact, CELL BIOTECH CO ., LTD is accelerating the diversification of its product lineup with the goal of boosting exports next year. The strategy involves restructuring the probiotics sector—which had previously focused solely on general gut health management—into customized products tailored to specific life stages.

A prime example is the women’s vaginal health market. The company has prominently featured “DuoLac Comfort Probiotics,” which utilizes three strains confirmed through clinical trials at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital to improve the vaginal microbiome. The product has received favorable reviews in the innovation pavilions at leading global dietary supplement exhibitions, such as VitaFood Europe and VitaFood Asia, and is generating orders from global buyers.

In addition, through joint research with the World Kimchi Institute, the company has demonstrated the mechanism of action for the “CBT-BR3” and “CBT-LP3” composite strains, which inhibit fat accumulation in the liver. These strains have completed certification under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) program, expanding the company’s product lineup to target obesity and metabolic health. The company has also finalized a tailored portfolio designed to prevent muscle loss, in response to the recent proliferation of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) obesity treatments.

Market expansion through the expansion of scientific evidence is also noteworthy. CELL BIOTECH CO ., LTD’s R&D Center recently published a study on the mechanism by which CBT probiotics improve chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the prestigious pharmacology journal *Life Sciences*. Following a 12.5% improvement in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in a clinical trial at a Serbian university hospital, the company elucidated the mechanism by which these probiotics fundamentally block the production of intestinal uremic toxin precursors. By pioneering a new field known as the “gut-kidney axis,” the company is broadening the market reach of its premium healthcare products.

Leveraging the solid brand power it has established in the European market, CELL BIOTECH CO ., LTD plans to fully launch its entry into the U.S. market, the world’s largest dietary supplement market. The company’s blueprint is to target SUNJIN Co., Ltd with a high-end premium lineup featuring strains registered under the FDA’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) program and proprietary coating technology, while avoiding simple price competition.

Furthermore, the company is staking its future on making the leap from a dietary supplement specialist to an innovative biotech firm focused on developing new drugs based on the microbiome. The company is making steady progress in the domestic Phase 1 clinical trial of “PP-P8,” an innovative oral colorectal cancer drug that combines its proprietary fermentation technology with a genetic recombination platform.

PP-P8 is a microbiome-based drug designed to induce the mass expression of the anticancer protein “P8” in lactic acid bacteria naturally present in the Korean gut. It is a next-generation recombinant drug candidate that selectively inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells in the intestine. Having received the first-ever approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in Korea, the company is currently evaluating its efficacy and safety in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. The company is conducting research in collaboration with researchers at Seoul National University Hospital, aiming to enter Phase 2 clinical trials in the second half of next year. It plans to generate synergies by expanding into contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services, leveraging its dedicated biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility completed in 2019.

A CELL BIOTECH CO ., LTD official stated, “Building on our proven, unrivaled technological capabilities and credibility in the European market, we will further strengthen our market dominance in advanced markets such as the United States.” The official added, “Leveraging the robust growth of our health supplement business—a proven cash cow—we will accelerate the development of our pipeline for intractable diseases, including new colorectal cancer drugs, and emerge as a true global biotech company.”