LG Life Sciences

LG Life Sciences(LGLS) spun off from LG Chem Investment as a full-fledged LG Group Affiliate in August 2002. LGLS began research in genetic engineering since 1981 and has developed and commercialized:

- interferon : Intermax-gamma(1989), Intermax-alpha(1992)

- hepatitis B vaccine : Euvax B(1992)

- human growth hormone : Eutropin(1993)

- quinolone antibiotic : Factive(2003)

- degenerative arthritis treatment : Hyruan Plus(2005)

- rhFSH (recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone) : Follitrope(2006)

- SR-hGH (Sustained Release-human Growth Hormone) : Declage(2007)

LG Life Sciences has also been investing on new generation agrochemicals for nearly 20 years. Since then, LGLS has developed:

- new herbicide for rice : Pyancor(1997)

- fungicide for use in horticulture : Guardian(1999)

- new herbicide for both pre- and post-emergence rice : Fluxo(2004)

Business Areas

1. Pharmaceuticals

LG Life Sciences(LGLS) has an extensive sales and marketing network spanning over 75 countries with LGLS technology based products. Among these products, Factive is a representative Korean drug which is yet only FDA approved novel drug in Korea. Factive is a dual targeting fluroquinolone antibiotic selling over 15 countries worldwide. Also, LGLS is a major hepatitis B vaccine supplier of UN agencies and has exported to more than 75 countries in the world. LGLS hepatitis B vaccine, Euvax B takes up over 50% of UNICEF supply. In 2007, an additional success to domestic marketing, Hyruan Plus, an osteoarthritis treatment has achieved CE marking and now is marketed over 20 countries including Europe. Hyruan Plus is highly purified hyaluronic acid, processed by microbial fermentation which ensures to be BSE-free. Showing LGLS’ advanced bioengineering technology, LGLS developed one of very few biosimilar recombinant human erythropoietin and follitropin that are registered and marketed over 15 countries. In addition to Euvax B, and Factive, LGLS has many infertility treatments, ophthalmic surgical interventions, diagnostics drugs, animal drug, and pharmaceutical drug intermediates that are exported all over the world.

2. Specialty Chemicals

For nearly 20 years, LG Life Sciences has been developing and marketing new generation agrochemicals. The company’s earlier product line consisted of pyrethroid insecticides, including Cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, and Lambdacyhalothrin. LGLS produced these insecticides because manufacturing such products was a technical challenge in the early to mid-1980s. As soon as pyrethroid chemistry ceased to be a challenge, the company moved on to a new technical challenge. LGLS now has three new molecules(Pyanchor, Guardian, Fluxo) being developed globally. In the past two years, the structure of LGLS’s crop protection business has changed significantly, from technology to business integration, to achieve sustainable and healthy growth. The company emphasizes strong global partnerships with multinationals regarding its proprietary molecules, while strengthening its domestic operations through strategic ties with local and independent sales networks. Since 2000, LGLS has been expanding into the generic product sector in the U.S., the world’s largest agrochemical market. In addition to Permethrin, LGLS registered three of its generic products with the EPA in 2006, Metalaxyl, Lambda-Cyhalothrin, and Esfenvalerate. LGLS plans to continue expanding its U.S. business by introducing additional products.

3. Diagnostics

LG Life Sciences has invested and researched constantly over the past two decades in diagnostics areas and has developed in-vitro diagnostics for Hepatitis C (first in Korea), Malaria antibodies (first in the world), HIV antigens and antibodies, Syphilis and Hepatitis B virus. LGLS’s goal in diagnostics R&D is to raise the competitiveness of current products and to cultivate a steady stream of strategic products for the future. To this end, core competencies are being strengthened and its efforts focus on new product development. The trend in diagnostic medicine technology today is to generate value by incorporating information, nanotechnologies and biotechnologies. LGLS is building upon its world-class technology in infections diseases and accelerating R&D research to secure a technological edge in ELISA, quantitative PCR and several types of biochips.

Major Products

1. Pharmaceuticals - Biologics and Vaccines

- Eutropin Inj. : Infant dwarfism by lack of growth hormone and Turner syndrome, adult growth hormone deficiency

- Hyruan Plus Inj. : Degenerative arthritis

- Euvax B Inj. : Immunization against infection caused by hepatitis B virus

- Espogen Inj. : Anemia in patients with chronic renal failure

- Intermax Alpha Inj. : Chronic hepatitis C, CML etc.

- Follitrope Inj. : Ovulation induction in assisted reproduction program

- Intermax Gamma Inj. : Rheumatic arthritis and myeloid leukemia

2. Pharmaceuticals - Small Molecules

- Zanidip Tab. : Essential hypertension

- Calvan Tab. : Hypertension

- IVF-M Inj., IVF-C Inj., Follimon Inj. : Ovulation induction in assisted reproduction program

- Factive Chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, and sinusitis

3. Specialty Chemicals

- Pyanchor(Pyribenzoxim[PBX]) : Paddy fields(barnyard grass, spiderwort)

- Veteran(Imidacloprid[ICP]) : Orcharding and horticulture(aphids, moths)

- Guardian(Ethaboxam[EBX]) : Orcharding and horticulture(epidemics, downy mildews)

- Fluxo(Flucetosulfuron[FTS]) : Paddy fields(broad-spectrum herbicide)

4. Diagnostics

- AdvanSure HPV Screening quantitative PCR: For screening HPV virus in vaginal swap

- AdavanSure TB/NTM quantitative PCR: Detecting M.tb complex and NTM(non-tubercle Mycobacteria) respectively

- AdvanSure Mycobacteria Genotyping Chip : Identifying 28 species of Mycobacteria by Hybridizing with PCR product targeted ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) region

See also

• LG Group

External links

• LG Life Sciences Global
• LG Life Sciences Korean
• LG Life Sciences R&D
• LG Life Sciences India