Initiative seeks to simplify investigator-initiated trials in Korea while leveraging US manufacturing and Korean clinical expertise
Matica Biotechnology is positioning Korea as a strategic destination for investigator-initiated trials, or IITs, by offering an integrated platform that combines manufacturing, clinical development and regulatory support.
The move comes as global drugmakers are diversifying manufacturing and clinical development away from China amid rising geopolitical tensions.
According to Matica Biotechnology — the US-based contract development and manufacturing subsidiary of Korea’s Cha Biotech — on Sunday, it plans to hold an online seminar on Tuesday to highlight Korea's advantages at a time when China, Australia and Europe are often preferred for IITs.
Titled “South Korea IIT: The Emerging Global Alternative for Accelerating Cell & Gene Therapy Development," the webinar will compare the strengths of Korea, China, Australia and Europe. It aims to help biotechnology companies identify the most suitable development pathway for different programs while evaluating IIT strategies across six criteria: development speed, data quality, manufacturing-clinical integration, regulatory readiness, supply chain stability and long-term commercialization potential.
Cha Biotech said the webinar would underscore how Korea offers an integrated ecosystem combining world-class hospitals, good manufacturing practice-, or GMP-certified facilities and internationally recognized regulatory standards; why IIT strategies should be assessed based on multiple development factors rather than cost alone; and the perspective that each region offers distinct advantages, as geographic selection should be a strategic decision rather than a one-size-fits-all choice.
Cha Biotech, in collaboration with Matica Biotechnology, launched “Accelerated Matica Korea IIT Integrated Platform Solution” in June. It provides overseas biotechnology companies with a single point of contact for conducting investigator-initiated trials in Korea by integrating manufacturing, clinical operations, hospital networks and regulatory support.
According to the company, the integrated approach can reduce project management burdens, shorten development timelines and improve the efficiency of clinical development strategies. It will streamline coordination between manufacturing operations in the US and clinical execution in Korea to rapidly generate high-quality clinical data. Matica Biotechnology's US-based GMP facility can also help protect customers' key intellectual property.
“Through the Matica K-IIT Program, the company aims to support international biotech companies entering Korea while strengthening the country's position as a leading clinical development hub for advanced therapies in Asia,” said a Cha Biotech official.
By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)
