GUJU Pharm

What GUJU Pharm does

GUJU Pharm (구주제약) is a privately held Korean pharmaceutical company founded on November 19, 1974, by Kim Myeong-seob and headquartered in Seoul. The company develops, manufactures, and commercializes ethical (prescription) drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and health functional foods, and operates a GMP-certified manufacturing complex in Hwaseong (14,080 m²) with annual capacities of 350 million tablets, 25 million soft capsules, 5 million vials, 8.5 million ampules, and 1.5 million lyophilized powder vials. GUJU's portfolio spans cardiovascular (atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, ezetimibe combinations), diabetes (teneligliptin, dapagliflozin, sitagliptin combinations), gastrointestinal (lansoprazole, rebamipide), neurological (pregabalin), and other therapeutic categories. Its OTC line features the signature Alcohdex drinkable vial solution for liver health and LC500 soft capsules for skin/nail/hair health, differentiated by Korea's first fully automated high-concentration vial production line. The company also offers Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) services across six dosage forms with bioequivalence and pharmaceutical equivalence testing for external pharmaceutical clients.

The company has accumulated 10 Korean patents (1999-2012), developed Korea's 6th domestic new drug (Apitoxin injection, a natural medicine for osteoarthritis, launched 2003), and passed bioequivalence testing on 53 products. It operates a Central R&D Center in Suwon (opened October 2018) and an ETC Sales Department in Seoul for nationwide distribution through pharmacies and medical institutions. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales (ethical and OTC) and professional services (CMO contracts), with pricing governed by Korea's National Health Insurance system for prescription drugs. The company holds ISO 37001 anti-bribery management certification (2020, recertified 2023) and is led by Chairman Kim Woo-tae and President Baek Gwang-seok (since January 2024). Recent strategic initiatives include a joint development agreement with UniCel Lab for cocrystal PPI technology (July 2022), a Dongguk University partnership for anticancer drug development (July 2021), and groundbreaking of a new oral solid dosage facility at Hwaseong (November 2023).

Name

GUJU Pharm

Legal name

구주제약 주식회사

Website

https://guju.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

GUJU Pharm is a privately held Korean pharmaceutical company (founded 1974) that develops, manufactures, and sells ethical drugs, OTC medications, and offers CMO services across multiple dosage forms, serving medical institutions, pharmacies, and pharmaceutical company clients in South Korea.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Generic Pharmaceuticals

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Small-Molecule Generics (Branded/Unbranded) (HLAIABAA), Cardiometabolic Pharmaceuticals (Cardiovascular/Diabetes/Obesity) (HLAIAAAE), Neurology & CNS Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAC)

Keywords

• Generic pharmaceuticals
• Ethical drugs
• OTC medications
• Contract manufacturing
• Bioequivalence testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ethical (Prescription) Pharmaceuticals: Sale of prescription drugs including cardiovascular medications (statins, combination drugs), diabetes treatments (teneligliptin, dapagliflozin, sitagliptin combinations), and other therapeutic categories through medical institutions.
2. Over-The-Counter (OTC) Drugs: Sale of non-prescription drugs including Alcohdex Solution (liver disease adjuvant therapy), LC500 Soft Capsule (skin/nails/hair), and general consumer health products through pharmacies.
3. CMO (Contract Manufacturing Organization) Services: Contract manufacturing services for other pharmaceutical companies across solid oral dosage (tablets, capsules, soft capsules), oral solutions (vials), and injectable forms (ampules, lyophilized powder vials). Includes bioequivalence testing and pharmaceutical equivalence services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GUJU Pharm develops, manufactures, and sells ethical (prescription) drugs and over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and also offers contract manufacturing organization (CMO) services for other pharmaceutical companies. The company additionally produces health functional foods and conducts bioequivalence testing to support generic drug development and approvals.

Product overview

GUJU Pharm is a Korean pharmaceutical company founded in 1974 that develops, manufactures, and commercializes ethical drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and health functional foods. The company operates a GMP-certified manufacturing facility in Hwaseong and maintains a Central R&D Center in Suwon. Its ethical drug portfolio includes cardiovascular medications (statins like Atorvastatin and Rosuvastatin, combination tablets with Ezetimibe), diabetes treatments (Teneligliptin, Dapagliflozin, Sitagliptin combinations), neurological drugs (Pregabalin), and gastrointestinal products (Lansoprazole, Rebamipide). The OTC portfolio features its signature highly concentrated drinkable vial solution Alcohdex for liver health, LC500 soft capsules for skin/nail/hair health containing L-Cystine, and the marketed brand LCBTAM for skin and hair applications. The company also offers Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) services for solid oral dosage forms (tablets, capsules), soft capsules, oral solutions/vials, and injectable products (ampules, lyophilized powder vials). GUJU Pharma's R&D pipeline includes new drug development (Apitoxin injection, Korea's 6th natural new drug for osteoarthritis, and a natural anti-obesity drug in Phase II clinical trials), new formulation development, and drug delivery system (DDS) research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 엘씨비탐 (LCBT): Skin, nails and hair health supplement product (LC500 Soft Cap)
• 알코덱스 (Alcohdex)
• 테리아엠 (TENERIAM)
• 아토릭스정 (Alcolix)
• 유니로바정 (Unilova)
• 바이젯정 (Vizet)

Products and services

• Ethical (prescription) drugs Prescription pharmaceutical products developed and manufactured by GUJU Pharm for use by medical institutions such as hospitals and clinics in patient treatment.
• OTC medications Over-the-counter pharmaceutical products sold by GUJU Pharm through retail pharmacy and drugstore channels for consumer self-medication.
• Health functional foods Health functional food products produced by GUJU Pharm and sold through retail channels for consumer health and wellness use.
• Contract manufacturing (CMO) services Contract manufacturing organization services provided by GUJU Pharm to other pharmaceutical companies, covering drug production and related capabilities for partner products.
• Bioequivalence testing services Bioequivalence testing services supporting generic drug development and regulatory approval, used by GUJU Pharm internally and available as part of its service portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• 53 products have passed bioequivalence testing as of 2013
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UniCel Lab (유니셀랩)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 July 2022GUJU Pharm and UniCel Lab signed a joint development agreement for Cocrystals PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor) in July 2022. This strategic partnership combines GUJU's formulation and manufacturing expertise with UniCel Lab's cocrystal technology for next-generation drug delivery.
• Dongguk University College of Pharmacy / Professor Kim Young-samcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2021GUJU Pharm and the Dongguk University College of Pharmacy team led by Professor Kim Young-sam signed a joint development agreement for anticancer drug development in July 2021. This leverages academic pharmaceutical research capabilities with GUJU's drug development and commercialization infrastructure.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Samjin Pharmaceutical: Korean mid-sized pharma with ethical drug focus across cardiovascular, GI, and musculoskeletal areas. Closely comparable in scale, therapeutic mix, and Korean-market orientation.
• JW Pharmaceutical: Mid-sized Korean pharma with both branded and generic pharmaceutical manufacturing across multiple therapeutic areas. Similar GMP-certified manufacturing footprint and Korean NHI exposure.
• Daewoong Pharmaceutical: Mid-to-large Korean pharmaceutical company with a comparable portfolio spanning ethical generics, OTC consumer health, and CMO/CDMO services across multiple dosage forms. Closely comparable to GUJU in business model mix.
• Korea United Pharm: Korean pharmaceutical company focused on generic ethical drugs and manufacturing services, with comparable cardiovascular and chronic disease therapeutic focus.
• Ilyang Pharmaceutical: Korean pharmaceutical manufacturer with a generic-focused ethical drug pipeline and CMO capabilities across solid dosage forms. Directly comparable in scale and product mix.
• Boryung Pharmaceutical: Established Korean pharma with diversified ethical drug portfolio (cardiovascular, antibiotics, GI) plus OTC consumer brands. Similar mid-sized scale and Korea-focused generics-and-new-drug mix.
• Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical: Mid-sized Korean pharmaceutical manufacturer combining prescription drugs, OTC consumer health products, and health functional foods — a near-analogous business mix to GUJU.

Broad incumbents

• Yuhan Corporation: Major Korean pharmaceutical incumbent with diversified ethical, OTC, and international licensing operations. Comparable in manufacturing breadth and Korean NHI exposure, though substantially larger.
• Hanmi Pharmaceutical: One of Korea's largest pharmaceutical companies, with extensive ethical drug, OTC, and CMO operations. Comparable therapeutic breadth but at significantly greater scale and with deeper R&D pipeline.
• Dong-A ST: Larger, established Korean pharmaceutical company with broader prescription, OTC, and biosimilar operations. Comparable in Korean pharma manufacturing but at greater scale and with deeper pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/guju-pharm

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 GUJU Pharm