What Daewoong Bio does

Daewoong Bio is a South Korean integrated pharmaceutical manufacturer established in 1983 (as Daewoong Chemical, renamed in 2009) and listed on KOSDAQ since 1999. The company operates as a subsidiary of Daewoong Pharmaceutical within the broader Daewoong group, employing approximately 520 professionals across four production facilities: the Bio Center (microbial-based recombinant biopharmaceuticals, opened 2024) and Cepha Center (cephalosporin antibiotics, completed May 2025) at the Hwaseong Hyangnam campus, the API Center (UDCA, Fexuprazan, other APIs) in Hwaseong, and the Anseong Center (finished pharmaceutical products at ~4-6 billion tablets/year capacity) in Anseong, with an additional China Sichuan factory supporting regional API production. Its proprietary technology stack includes enzyme-based eco-friendly synthesis achieving 99% high-purity UDCA, advanced flow chemistry (Corning Advance Flow Reactor and Syrris Asia Flow Reactor) for diabetes drug API development, viral inactivation for animal-source materials, and microbial fermentation up to 1,000L working volume under cGMP and EU-GMP compliance.

The company generates revenue across three primary streams: (1) Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) manufacturing and global export of high-purity APIs (UDCA exported to 29+ countries, Fexuprazan, Enavogliflozin, Coenzyme Q10, Meropenem, Valsartan, Lansoprazole, Montelukast, Aripiprazole, and others); (2) finished pharmaceutical product manufacturing, anchored by Korea's #1 CNS franchise Gliatamin (KRW 1,761B, 31.8% market share) and Beasept (KRW 349B, 10.2% market share), plus statins, antibiotics, and metabolic drugs; and (3) CMO/CDMO services providing one-stop integrated support from laboratory through pilot to commercial scale, including CMC research and CTD documentation across therapeutic areas such as Alzheimer's, autoimmune disease, cancer immunotherapy, and diabetic macular edema. 2024 disclosed revenue reached KRW 5,795 billion (~USD 4.3B) with KRW 804 billion in operating profit, reflecting a 13% average annual growth rate, with a stated goal of entering Korea's top 10 pharmaceutical companies. Regulatory certifications across US FDA, EU CEP, Japan PMDA, Korea BGMP, ISO 14001, and ISO 37001 underpin export eligibility to 28+ countries.

Name

Daewoong Bio

Legal name

주식회사 대웅바이오 (DAEWOONGBIO CO., LTD.)

Website

https://daewoongbio.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Daewoong Bio is a South Korean integrated pharmaceutical manufacturer specializing in high-purity APIs (notably UDCA), CNS market-leading finished drugs (Gliatamin, Beasept), and CMO/CDMO services, operating four cGMP/EU-GMP facilities and exporting to 28+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Contract Development & Manufacturing for Generics (CDMO/CMO) (HLAIABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fill-Finish & Aseptic Drug Product Manufacturing (Biologics/ATMP) (HLAGAGAG), Small-Molecule CMC Documentation & Regulatory Support (DMF/CMC) (HLAGAHAM)

Keywords

• Active pharmaceutical ingredients
• Finished pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Contract manufacturing services
• Biopharmaceutical production
• Central nervous system drugs

Headquarters

HQ city

Yeoksamdong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Manufacturing & Sales: Production and global export of high-purity APIs including UDCA, Fexuprazan, Coenzyme Q10, Enavogliflozin, DCA, and others. UDCA is exported to 29+ countries. Facilities comply with CGMP and EU-GMP standards.
2. Finished Pharmaceutical Product Manufacturing & Sales: CNS drugs (Gliatamin, Beasept), statins, antibiotics, and other finished drugs produced at Anseong Center (annual ~4–6 billion tablets capacity). Products include atorvastatin, beasta, clarithromycin, roxoprofen, vpoz, kraten and more.
3. CMO/CDMO Services: Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) and Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) services providing one-stop full package from lab to pilot to commercial scale, including new drug API synthesis, CMC research, and CTD documentation. Services cover both GMP and non-GMP production.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Daewoong Bio is an integrated Korean pharmaceutical manufacturer that produces Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) such as UDCA, Fexuprazan, Enavogliflozin, Coenzyme Q10, and bile acid derivatives, manufactures finished pharmaceutical products led by CNS market-leading drugs Gliatamin and Beasept along with cardiovascular, antibiotic, and metabolic medications, and provides CMO/CDMO contract services covering the full development lifecycle from laboratory research through pilot to commercial-scale manufacturing. Operations are supported by four specialized production facilities (Bio Center, Cepha Center, API Center, and Anseong Center) with full CGMP and EU-GMP compliance.

Product overview

Daewoong Bio operates as an integrated pharmaceutical company combining four distinct business segments: (1) Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) manufacturing with world-leading UDCA production and specialty bile acid derivatives; (2) CMO/CDMO services covering the full lifecycle from lab research through commercial production; (3) Finished pharmaceutical products led by CNS drugs Gliatamin and Beasept (market leaders in Korea) along with cardiovascular, antibiotic, and metabolic medications; and (4) four dedicated manufacturing facilities (Bio Center for microbial biopharmaceuticals, Cephacenter for cephalosporin antibiotics, API Center for APIs, and Anseong Center for finished products). The portfolio spans therapeutic areas including CNS, cardiovascular, diabetes, liver disease, and antibiotics, with products exported to 28+ countries globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 바이오센터 (Bio Center): 미생물 기반 유전자재조합 바이오의약품 전문 생산시설
• 세파센터 (Cepha Center)
• 원료센터 (API Center)
• 안성센터 (Anseong Center)

Products and services

• UDCA (Ursodeoxycholic Acid) High-purity ursodeoxycholic acid API used for liver disease treatment; produced in Daewoong Bio's API Center using enzyme-based eco-friendly synthesis technology achieving 99% purity, with global export to 29+ countries including France, Germany, and Japan.
• Gliatamin (글리아타민) Central nervous system (CNS) medication leading Daewoong Bio's CNS portfolio with KRW 1,761 billion in 2025 sales and 31.8% market share in Korea's CNS prescription market.
• Beasept (베아셉트) CNS medication in Daewoong Bio's CNS portfolio with KRW 349 billion in 2025 sales and 10.2% market share in Korea.
• Fexuprazan (펙수프라잔) Proton pump inhibitor API used for acid-related disorders; produced at the dedicated API Center using Flow System-based synthesis with PV completed.
• Enavogliflozin (이나보글리플로진) SGLT2 inhibitor API used for diabetes treatment; manufactured using the company's advanced flow chemistry systems at lab and pilot scale.
• Coenzyme Q10 (코엔자임 Q10) CoQ10 API recognized as a world-class product; exported internationally from Daewoong Bio's manufacturing facilities.
• CMO/CDMO Services (One-Stop Full Package) Fully integrated contract manufacturing and contract development services covering the pharmaceutical development lifecycle from laboratory research through pilot scale to commercial manufacturing, including new drug API synthesis, CMC research, and CTD documentation; available in both GMP and non-GMP production modes.
• Atorvastatin (아토르바스타틴) Finished pharmaceutical product for cardiovascular/metabolic conditions manufactured at the Anseong Center.
• Clarithromycin (클래리트로마이신) Macrolide antibiotic finished pharmaceutical product manufactured at the Anseong Center.
• Loxoprofen (록소프로펜) NSAID finished pharmaceutical product manufactured at the Anseong Center.
• Meropenem (메로페넴) Carbapenem antibiotic API certified by Japan's PMDA for the Japanese market.
• Lansoprazole (란소프라졸) Proton pump inhibitor API used for acid-related disorders.
• Beprazole (베프라졸) Proton pump inhibitor API used for acid-related disorders.
• Valsartan (발사르탄) Angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) API used for hypertension; certified by Japan's PMDA in 2014.
• Montelukast (몬테루카스트) Leukotriene receptor antagonist API used for asthma and allergic rhinitis.
• Aripiprazole (아리피프라졸) Atypical antipsychotic API used for central nervous system disorders.
• Amoxicillin (아목시실린) Penicillin antibiotic API received FDA approval in 1994 for the US market.
• Cefuroxime Axetil (세푸록심 악세틸) Cephalosporin antibiotic API received European CEP certification in 2006.
• Ampicillin/Cloxacillin (암피실린/클록사실린) Penicillin combination antibiotic API certified by Japan's PMDA in 2008.
• Bile Acid Derivatives (KLCA, 7-KetoCA, 12-KetoCA) Specialized bile acid derivative APIs including KLCA, 7-KetoCA, and 12-KetoCA produced using advanced oxidation reactions and enzyme-based synthesis technology.
• DCA (Dehydrocholic Acid) Bile acid derivative API produced through enzyme-based synthesis, enabling stable commercial-scale supply.

Quantifiable outcome

• Korea CNS market #1 with 10.4% market share (KRW 2,369B in sales, 2025 prescription basis)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LabGenomicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2025Daewoong Bio and LabGenomics are collaborating to introduce blood-based Alzheimer's disease diagnostic technology (Lumipulse by Fujirebio, FDA-approved May 2023) to the Korean market. The technology measures specific tau protein and beta-amyloid biomarkers in blood, offering a more accessible and cost-effective alternative to cerebrospinal fluid collection or PET scans. They presented Lumipulse at the CNS Yeondu Symposium in Seoul on June 6-7.
• QDx PathologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2025Daewoong Bio partnered with US-based QDx Pathology to expand overseas referral testing services, enabling Korean domestic medical institutions to access blood-based Alzheimer's diagnostic testing through international referral channels.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Recipharm: European CDMO specializing in small-molecule APIs and finished dosage forms including sterile liquids and semi-solids; comparable to Daewoong Bio's CMO/CDMO platform across labs-to-commercial scale services and EU-GMP-certified manufacturing.
• Hanmi Pharmaceutical: Korean branded and specialty pharmaceutical manufacturer with global partnerships in diabetes and oncology; comparable to Daewoong Bio's CNS/metabolic franchise and Korean market positioning across finished dosage and API development.
• Dr. Reddy's Laboratories: Indian global API and generic pharmaceutical manufacturer with high-purity APIs across multiple therapeutic categories; comparable to Daewoong Bio's API Center as a direct competitor in regulated-market generic API exports (US FDA, EU GMP, Japan PMDA certified).
• WuXi STA (WuXi AppTec): Global API and CDMO platform with end-to-end small-molecule process development and manufacturing; directly comparable to Daewoong Bio's API Center and CDMO offering across multiple therapeutic categories including CNS and metabolic APIs.

Broad incumbents

• Celltrion: Korean biosimilars leader with microbial and mammalian biomanufacturing plus global commercial infrastructure; comparable to Daewoong Bio's Bio Center biologics platform as a Korean biomanufacturing competitor for global bio-pharma contracts.
• Samsung Biologics: Korean biopharmaceutical CDMO with large-scale mammalian bioreactor capacity; relevant domestic peer for Daewoong Bio's biologics expansion and a benchmark for Korean CDMO scale and international client mix.
• Catalent: Global CDMO with oral, injectable, and biologic fill-finish capacity; comparable to Daewoong Bio's Anseong Center and Cepha Center for finished-dosage CDMO scale and customer-mix reference.
• Daewoong Pharmaceutical: Parent company and Korean pharmaceutical conglomerate covering branded and generic pharmaceuticals across multiple therapeutic areas including CNS, metabolic, and gastroenterology; relevant as Daewoong Bio's parent and a broader-scope operator in overlapping CNS/generic product segments.
• Lonza Group: World's largest CDMO with microbial and mammalian biologics plus API services; comparable as a reference CDMO benchmark for Daewoong Bio's Bio Center biologics platform and CMO/CDMO expansion strategy.
• SK Bioscience: Korean vaccine and biopharmaceutical company with WHO-prequalified manufacturing and global exports; adjacent peer given shared Korean manufacturing footprint, biologics capability, and international regulatory certifications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Daewoong Bio