This article was released as Pharm Edaily Premium Content on September 8, 2026, at 8:40 AM.
[Seungkwon Kim, Edaily Reporter] Korea's pharmaceutical, biotech and healthcare sector drew heavy buying on the 13th, driven by a newly listed medical device firm, a global drug theme and U.S.-originated catalysts. With the KOSDAQ up only about 1%, attention centered on SkyLabs, Samik Pharmaceutical and L&K Biomed.
|
◇ Sky Labs, Weak IPO reversed by two-day rally
Sky Labs closed limit-up at 30,550 won, up 30.00% (7,050 won), according to MPDoctor. Volatility interruption was triggered twice, and turnover topped 660 billion won before noon. The stock now sits 205.5% above its 10,000-won offering price, following a 135.0% gain on its September 4 debut.
The rally reversed a lackluster IPO. Institutional demand forecasting drew a 63.41-to-1 ratio, and the lockup commitment rate was just 0.17%, raising overhang concerns that buying pressure has so far overwhelmed.
The immediate driver was clinical data for CART BP pro, the world's first cuffless blood pressure monitor to secure both medical device certification and national insurance reimbursement. Sky Labs disclosed five CART studies presented at ESC Congress 2026 in Munich, covering atrial fibrillation, heart failure and sleep apnea patients. Professor Kim In-chul of Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital reported that the device met European Society of Hypertension accuracy criteria in severe heart failure patients, while Professor Yoon Jong-chan of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital captured transient blood pressure spikes immediately after respiratory recovery in sleep apnea patients. The market read this as evidence the device can expand beyond hypertension into broader cardiovascular management.
CEO Lee Byung-hwan said the company and its technology were not undervalued as such, attributing the low starting point to weak sentiment toward IPOs at the time of the offering.
|
◇ Samik Pharm, 30% jackpot on Wall Street's hair-loss trade
Samik Pharmaceutical also went limit-up, gaining 30.03% (2,020 won) to 8,780 won, with morning volume exceeding 4.19 million shares. The trigger was a new U.S. investment theme around hair-loss drugs, after Bloomberg framed developers in the space as candidates to follow Wegovy. Domestically, momentum from a review of expanded insurance coverage compounded the move.
Samik's core asset is a drug delivery platform (patent no. 2905826) converting baricitinib, a JAK inhibitor used in alopecia areata and rheumatoid arthritis, from a daily oral tablet into a once-monthly long-acting injectable. The technology loads more than 95% of the poorly soluble drug into polymer microspheres and controls release over a month or longer.
The company itself has been more cautious. A Samik official said commercialization would require considerable time, and characterized the recent surge as reflecting supply-demand shifts rather than any specific catalyst. Majority shareholders and related parties hold roughly 63% of shares, leaving a thin float that amplifies volatility. A securities industry official noted that most U.S. hair-loss candidates remain in trials or under review, and said both formulation stability and the link between thematic flows and actual earnings need verification.
|
◇ L&K Biomed, FDA add-on approval targets U.S. surgeon demand
L&K Biomed traded around 5,100 won, up more than 20%, reaching 5,400 won intraday. With no new disclosure on the day, the industry attributed the move to expectations for U.S. revenue growth and progress on a global supply agreement.
Last month the company won an additional FDA clearance expanding footprint sizes for BluEX-C, its expandable cervical cage. On top of existing 4mm-to-15mm height adjustment, surgeons can now select the contact area with the vertebral body, addressing demand to reduce subsidence. Separately, its Pectus chest wall implant surpassed 1 billion won in monthly sales and secured references at institutions including the Mayo Clinic, with the core business holding a second straight quarter of profitability.
The key variable remains timing of a supply contract with a global major medical device firm, now in final negotiation after audit completion. Analysts flagged prolonged negotiations and overhang from 32 billion won in convertible bonds as risks to monitor.
