As South Korea's doctors continue their long-running protest against a government plan to raise the medical student quota at universities, the walk-outs may be beginning to take a toll on the pharma industry, with many large firms reporting weak earnings in the last quarter.

Hanmi’s head of new product development elucidated the leading Korean pharma firm’s digital healthcare strategy at a recent domestic forum, including plans for the country’s first medicine/DTx combo, and shared views on what is needed to improve the domestic regulatory and market environment.

Notable new drug approvals in South Korea last year included Pfizer’s Tukysa, Genentech’s Columvi and BeiGene’s Tevimbra, but the tally did not include any domestically-originated products. Alzheimer’s disease therapy lecanemab may be on the horizon this year.

The planned merger of Korea's Hanmi Pharm Group with OCI Group hits a major speed bump as the two sons of Hanmi's founder and other candidates recommended by them secture board seats. But it remains to be seen how the Lim brothers will fulfil their ambitious promises.