Daewoong Therapeutics and Daewoong Bio to co-develop 'CLOPAM' and 'Thermicra' platforms for expanded application across diverse pharmaceuticals.
'Thermicra' achieves high-concentration subcutaneous formulations exceeding 400 mg/mL without hyaluronidase enzymes.
Dedicated manufacturing facilities to be established in Hyangnam and Seongnam, connecting development, production, and product launch.
Daewoong Pharmaceutical is embarking on the development of high-concentration subcutaneous injections and adhesive patch-type pharmaceuticals. The company announced on the 9th that it has signed joint development agreements utilizing two next-generation drug delivery platforms developed by Daewoong Therapeutics, with Daewoong Bio also participating in the high-concentration subcutaneous injection platform development.
Thermicra will be co-developed by three companies: Daewoong Pharmaceutical (CEOs Park Sung-soo and Lee Chang-jae), Daewoong Therapeutics (CEO Kang Bok-ki), and Daewoong Bio (CEO Jin Sung-gon). CLOPAM will be jointly developed by Daewoong Pharmaceutical and Daewoong Therapeutics.
This collaboration focuses on continuously discovering and commercializing pharmaceuticals utilizing both platforms rather than limiting them to specific items. It combines Daewoong Therapeutics' proprietary technology with Daewoong Pharmaceutical's global clinical, regulatory, and commercialization capabilities, alongside Daewoong Bio's manufacturing infrastructure.
Thermicra is a platform designed to convert intravenous (IV) biologic drugs, such as antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), into high-concentration subcutaneous (SC) formulations. According to the company, it can achieve high-concentration formulations of 400 mg/mL or more without the hyaluronidase enzyme, which assists in the subcutaneous spread of drugs. This is expected to reduce administration time and procedures compared to intravenous injections, thereby enhancing patient convenience and clinical administration efficiency.
A notable feature is its specialized process, which excludes high-temperature exposure and organic solvents to minimize the risk of protein denaturation. It is engineered to suppress viscosity increases that can occur in high-concentration formulations while enabling smooth administration, with plans to expand its application range to antibody therapeutics and ADCs.
CLOPAM is a dissolving microneedle platform that delivers drugs as micro-needles inserted into the skin dissolve. Delivering drugs in a patch format helps reduce the burden of injections for patients.
An automated precise dispensing process uniformly controls the amount of drug loaded into the microneedles, while pressurized drying technology ensures the drug is concentrated at the tips of the microneedles. Storage and packaging methods utilizing manufacturing molds also reduce the risk of microneedle breakage. Daewoong Pharmaceutical plans to review the applicability of various drugs, including small-molecule compounds and peptides, using CLOPAM.
Dedicated manufacturing facilities will be established to support the production of jointly developed products. The Thermicra-dedicated manufacturing plant is planned to be built in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, with completion targeted for December 2027.
[Photo Description=Daewoong Pharmaceutical researchers conducting research]
For CLOPAM, a dedicated aseptic clinical drug manufacturing facility for microneedles is currently under construction within the Daewoong Bio Plant 3 located in Hyangnam, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. It targets Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) approval in the first half of 2027.
Park Sung-soo, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, stated, "This joint development serves as a critical stepping stone to apply next-generation drug delivery technologies to various pharmaceuticals and connect them to actual product launches. Leveraging the synergy among the three companies, we will continuously expand our product portfolio to emerge as a game-changer in the global pharmaceutical market."
