Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp.

Chong Kun Dang (CKD) is one of South Korea's oldest and most prominent pharmaceutical companies, established in 1941. It is a fully integrated pharmaceutical firm with a robust domestic presence and a rapidly expanding global R&D footprint. The company specializes in the development of new chemical entities (NCEs), biosimilars, and incrementally modified drugs (IMDs), with a focus on chronic diseases and high-unmet-need conditions. In recent years, CKD has pivoted its strategy toward next-generation modalities, including Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs), cell and gene therapies (CGT), and oral GLP-1 agonists. The company gained significant international attention in late 2023 following a record-breaking $1.3 billion licensing deal with Novartis for its HDAC6 inhibitor, CKD-510. CKD operates major manufacturing facilities in Cheonan and is currently investing over $1.6 billion in a new state-of-the-art biopharmaceutical R&D complex in Siheung.