[Special Stock] Lapas Nears Contract with Global Vaccine Company... Alteogen Halo Effect

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] Lapas' stock price is on the rise. The expectation that it will sign a joint development contract for hepatitis B and polio vaccine patches with Serum, the world's No. 1 vaccine manufacturer, seems to be influencing the stock price. As Alteogen shows strong performance day after day due to expectations of technology exports, buying momentum is spreading to companies with high potential for contracts with famous overseas pharmaceutical companies. Alteogen's market capitalization has surpassed 3 trillion won.

At 10:17 a.m. on the 27th, Lapas was trading at 17,500 won, up 11.46% from the previous day.

Jung Dohyun, CEO of Lapas, said in an interview with a media outlet on the same day, "We will sign the main contract for joint development of hepatitis B and polio vaccine patches with Serum, the world's No. 1 vaccine manufacturer, in the third quarter of this year." CEO Jung also presented the goal of supplying hepatitis B and polio vaccine patches to the World Health Organization (WHO) to showcase K-bio technology.

CEO Jung explained, "We have made specific agreements on joint development and production with Serum," and said that the contract has already been sent. The contract is rapidly progressing as PATH, a global vaccine research institute that highly evaluated Lapas' technology, has stepped in. Serum develops the raw materials, and Lapas produces them.

Lapas has a pipeline of vaccine therapeutics for tuberculosis, hepatitis B, polio, and general medicine patches for osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, allergy treatments, scar improvement, and itching. It aims to complete Phase 1 clinical trials for osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, allergy, and immune patches within this year. Lapas also recently received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) for Phase 1 clinical trials of a donepezil patch (Alzheimer's-type dementia treatment) jointly developed with Boryung Pharmaceutical.

CEO Jung emphasized, "With microneedle technology, we will leap forward as a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) company for biopharmaceuticals like Celltrion and Samsung Biologics.