Hanmi Pharmaceutical's neutropenia treatment Rolontis (marketed in the U.S. as Rolvedon) has received the IR52 Jang Young-shil Award in recognition of its technological innovation. The company announced Wednesday that Choi In-young, head of its R&D center, along with executive directors Bae Sung-min and Kim Dae-jin and other members of the research team who led Rolontis' development, received the certificate and trophy at an awards ceremony held on the 14th at the Peace & Park Convention in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Launched in 1991, the IR52 Jang Young-shil Award is regarded as Korea's most prestigious industrial technology award. It is hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and organized by the Korea Industrial Technology Association and Maeil Business Newspaper. The award is given to research organizations with outstanding new technology products and technological innovation achievements.
Rolontis is a long-acting biologic drug used for the prevention and treatment of severe neutropenia in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. It is Korea's 33rd new drug and the first biologic oncology drug from the country to receive marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Rolontis was developed using Hanmi Pharmaceutical's proprietary platform technology "LAPSCOVERY," which enhances drug efficacy and extends the dosing interval, thereby reducing patients' risk of infection and the burden of treatment delays. Compared with existing drugs, it remains in the bone marrow longer, continuously promotes neutrophil differentiation, and maintains efficacy at lower doses, reducing the risk of severe neutropenia. In recognition of its technological innovation, the drug was listed in 2022 on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, one of the major cancer treatment guidelines.
A Hanmi Pharmaceutical official said the award represents "an achievement that reflects more than 20 years of research and development, during which we registered approximately 400 related patents worldwide, including 14 core family patents, securing global-level competitiveness and a strong rights foundation." The company plans to continue developing next-generation innovative drugs based on the platform technology and intellectual property accumulated through the R&D process.
"This started from the recognition that we needed to ensure patients could safely complete their cancer treatment," Choi In-young, head of the R&D center, said. "Going forward, we will further advance our R&D capabilities based on Hanmi's philosophy of 'creating better medicines for precious lives' and devote ourselves to developing innovative new drugs."
