
A slew of Korean companies are set to showcase their latest developments from contract manufacturing to antibody drug conjugates pipelines at the 2025 JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, the world’s largest event in the pharmaceuticals and biotech industry, kicking off Monday in San Francisco.
Now in its 43rd edition, the annual January gathering serves as a key platform for networking and collaboration, drawing industry experts and investors while offering insights into the latest trends and innovations while fostering business partnerships. The four-day conference is expected to attract up to 10,000 attendees.
Particular attention is on Samsung Biologics and Celltrion, two of Korea's leading biotech companies, both of which are slated to deliver presentations at the main conference venue Tuesday.
Receiving invitations for nine consecutive years since 2017, Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim will present at the Grand Ballroom of the Westin St. Francis Hotel, a space reserved for only 27 selected companies out of more than 550 participants.
With over 5 trillion won ($3.41 billion) in orders secured last year and projections of surpassing 5 trillion won in sales this year, the company continues to achieve record-breaking results in its contract development and manufacturing organization business.
The CEO will outline the company's "4E" strategy, which highlights customer excellence, operational excellence, quality excellence and people excellence, while aiming to expand its network with potential clients throughout the event.
Celltrion founder and Chair Seo Jung-jin and CEO Seo Jin-seok will showcase the firm's strengths in new drug development, including its globally recognized biosimilar products and advancements in six antibody-drug conjugate and multiantibody drug candidates, targeted for commercialization by 2026.
Discussions may also touch on its newly launched contract development and manufacturing business under Celltrion BioSolutions, which aims to achieve 3 trillion won in sales by 2031.

In addition to these major players, other emerging Korean pharmaceuticals and biotech firms will actively participate in the health care conference.
Lotte Biologics, led by newly appointed CEO James Park, former CEO of Korean biopharma GC Cell, will make its debut with a presentation on the Asia-Pacific track on Thursday.
The company plans to unveil its vision to establish three mega plants in Songdo, Incheon, by 2030, achieving a combined antibody drug production capacity of 360,000 liters, while also discussing the expansion of its antibody-drug conjugate production facilities in Syracuse, New York.
Bridge Biotherapeutics, presenting officially for the first time, will have CEO Lee Jung-kue outline the company’s core research and development projects, including BBT-877, a treatment candidate for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Lee will also discuss plans for technology transfer negotiations with global pharmaceuticals firms.
Onconic Therapeutics, the developer of Korea's 37th new drug, Jaqbo (zastaprazan citrate), aims to expand the global market for its anticancer drug Nesuparib, which has been designated as an orphan drug by the US Food and Drug Administration for pancreatic cancer.
Throughout the conference, KoreaBio will host the fifth Global IR @ JPM 2025, showcasing promising Korean biotech firms with innovative technologies to attract potential investors. Jointly organized by Sidley Austin and BioCentury, with support from Nasdaq, the Korean Ministry of Trade and Biocom California, the event will feature investor relations pitches from 10 selected biotech companies.
Meanwhile, as many experts expect the US to advance the Biosecure Act during the upcoming Donald Trump administration, the proposed legislation, which may sever contracts with certain Chinese manufacturing and research organizations, could potentially create new opportunities for Korean companies to capitalize on shifts in the global contract development and manufacturing market.
By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)