Under the Deal, Genentech Secures Exclusive Rights to Develop, Manufacture, and Commercialize Hm17321 Worldwide Except South Korea

South Korea's Hanmi Pharmaceutical and SK Biopharmaceuticals have closed major international deals in late January, underscoring the growing global footprint of the country's pharmaceutical and biotech industry. On Jan. 24, Hanmi Pharmaceutical signed an exclusive license agreement with Genentech, a subsidiary of the Roche Group, for 'HM17321, an innovative drug candidate for metabolic diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions.

Under the deal, Genentech secures exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize HM17321 worldwide except South Korea. The total deal value, including clinical development, regulatory approval, and commercialization rights, is approximately $2.3 billion (about 3.5 trillion won), with $190 million paid as an upfront fee. HM17321 is a non-incretin peptide signaling molecule (UCN2 analog) developed by Hanmi, currently in Phase 1 clinical trials in the U.S., expected to achieve both weight loss and muscle preservation.