The world’s largest biotechnology exhibition, the “2025 BIO USA,” witnessed the participation of third-generation heirs from the SK and Lotte conglomerates in Boston. Shin Yoo-yeol, Vice President and Head of the Future Growth Division at Lotte Holdings and eldest son of Lotte Corp. Chairman Shin Dong-bin, along with Choi Yoon-jung, Head of Business Development at SK Biopharm and daughter of SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, were at the forefront of the event.
During the exhibition, Shin Yoo-yeol actively engaged in meetings at the Lotte Biologics booth with major international companies to explore business opportunities in the biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) sector. Lotte Biologics, having entered the CDMO business in 2022, sees this as a vital growth area. Shin mentioned that this was his second participation in BIO USA, emphasizing his involvement in numerous business meetings aimed at securing contracts.
In parallel, Choi Yoon-jung led SK Biopharm’s efforts at the event, where the company conducted meetings with over 200 companies, promoting their new drug, cenobamate, for epilepsy as they seek to expand globally. SK Biopharm, for the first time, set up an independent booth and aims to solidify its standing in the global market through strategic partnerships.
Additionally, South Korean giants Samsung Biologics and Celltrion also marked their presence with significant booths at the exhibition. Samsung Biologics highlighted its new Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) CDMO services and organoid-based drug screening services, while Celltrion emphasized its capabilities as a new drug development company, particularly following the recent FDA approval to begin clinical trials for its next-generation ADC drug CT-P70.
BIO USA serves as a pivotal platform where biotech companies worldwide can engage in technology transfers, investment opportunities, and network expansion, all vital for achieving practical business outcomes.