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Korean biotech firms aim to expand U.S. presence at J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

Published: 13 Jan. 2026, 10:26 Updated: 13 Jan. 2026, 14:36

LEE JAE-LIM
[email protected]

A view of Grand Ballroom main stage at the 44th J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, which takes place at the Westin St. Francis hotel in San Francisco, California. The event runs until Jan. 15. [J.P. MORGAN HEALTHCARE CONFERENCE]

SAN FRANCISCO — Gathering at the 44th J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, Korean biotechnology companies are pushing to expand their U.S. footprint, betting that renewed momentum in global mergers, acquisitions and capital markets in the biopharma industry will continue into 2026.

“Biotech was the strongest-performing subsector in healthcare for the first time in many years,” said Jeremy Meilman, global head of healthcare investment banking at J.P. Morgan, during the conference’s opening remarks on Monday. “For the second half of 2025 versus 2024, we had 16 transactions across health care larger than $5 billion versus only four transactions that large in all of 2024 — signaling tremendous momentum.”

More than 9,000 participants from around 1,500 pharmaceutical, biotechnology and healthcare companies are expected to attend the event.

Among Korean companies, five — Samsung Biologics, Celltrion, Alteogen, D&D Pharmatech and Hugel — have been invited to deliver presentations reviewing progress in their drug development pipelines and outlining their mid- to long-term business strategies.

Samsung Biologics and Celltrion are presenting on the conference’s main track, while Alteogen, D&D Pharmatech and Hugel are participating in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) track.

Samsung Biologics is marking its 10th consecutive year of participation since 2017. The company is scheduled to present on Tuesday at the main stage of the Westin St. Francis Hotel. Twenty-six companies have been selected this year for this flagship stage out of 525 invited firms. John Rim, president and CEO of Samsung Biologics, is expected to discuss the company’s performance last year and its business strategy for 2026, with a focus on its new contract manufacturing brand, ExellenS.

Jeremy Meilman, global head of healthcare investment banking at J.P. Morgan, delivers opening remarks at the 44th J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference’s on Jan. 12. [J.P. MORGAN HEALTHCARE CONFERENCE]

In November 2025, Samsung Biologics spun off its biosimilar subsidiary Samsung Bioepis into a newly established holding company, Samsung Epis Holdings, to separate its core contract manufacturing business from the biosimilar and new drug development operations. The company also strengthened its U.S. presence by acquiring a manufacturing facility in Rockville, Maryland — previously owned by GlaxoSmithKline — for $280 million in December. Samsung Biologics surpassed $20 billion in cumulative orders as of 2025.

Celltrion is also taking the main track stage on Tuesday. CEO Seo Jin-seok is expected to provide updates on drug development programs first unveiled at last year’s conference, while also introducing previously undisclosed pipeline assets. He will be followed by Senior Vice President Lee Hyuk-jae, who is set to outline the company’s U.S. supply chain strategy centered on its recently acquired manufacturing facility in Branchburg, New Jersey.

On the APAC track, D&D Pharmatech plans to present interim Phase 2 clinical data for DD01, a drug candidate for treating fatty liver disease that has drawn attention for its potential relevance to weight management. Alteogen’s newly appointed CEO, Chun Tae-yon, will unveil new pipelines related to the company’s Hybrozyme platform, a technology designed to convert intravenous medicines into more convenient subcutaneous injections. Hugel is expected to discuss its global expansion strategy for botulinum toxin and dermal filler products under new management.

Next-generation leaders from Korean conglomerates are also expected to be active at the conference. Shin Yoo-yeol, executive vice president of Lotte Corporation and head of global strategy at Lotte Biologics — and the eldest son of Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin — is scheduled to hold meetings with potential partners.

“The primary objective of our participation is to closely analyze global market trends and expand points of contact with potential customers,” Shin said in a statement. “By highlighting our dual-site manufacturing strategy — centered on the Syracuse campus for antibody-drug conjugate production and the Songdo campus scheduled for completion later this year — we aim to secure meaningful business momentum that goes beyond networking and leads to tangible contract signings.”

Chey Yoon-chung, SK Biopharmaceuticals vice president and head of strategy — and the eldest daughter of SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won — is also expected to attend. She is currently overseeing development of the company’s radiopharmaceutical therapy program, including SKL35501, a treatment designed to destroy cancer cells using targeted radiation, and SKL35502, a companion imaging agent that helps identify tumors suitable for the therapy. The two candidates recently received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin Phase 1 clinical trials.

"I plan to actively seek collaboration opportunities that maximize the value of our global partnerships, pipeline assets and new therapeutic modalities, and to build a more multidimensional growth narrative for SK Biopharmaceuticals," Chey said in a statement.

Other Korean biotech firms attending the event include Samsung Bioepis, LigaChem Biosciences, Onconic Therapeutics, Medpacto, ABL Bio, Rznomics, STCube, Prestige Biologics, Unovia, Idience, LG Chem, OliX Pharmaceuticals, Genome & Company, SillaJen and AriBio.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [[email protected]]