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HanAll Biopharma(KRX: 009420.KS) today announced the appointment of Sean Jeong, who has built a career for 15 years at global pharmaceutical companies such as Novartis and UCB, as its new CEO in order to secure a new pipeline through open collaboration in addition to accelerating global clinical development of new biomedicines including HL036, novel, topical anti-TNF biologic for the treatment of dry eye disease, and HL161, the therapeutic antibody for autoimmune diseases, and to strengthen cooperation with multinational pharmaceutical companies. Jeong will serve as chief executive officer(CEO) of HPI, HanAll Biopharma’s U.S. subsidiary.

Having graduated from Yonsei University College of Medicine and obtained his MBA degree from the MIT Sloan School of Management in the U.S., CEO Jeong of HPI was in charge of product development and commercialization strategy development in the neurological, respiratory, and digestive fields for 12 years at Novartis. He also served as a marketing executive at Novartis. Recently, Jeong led market expansion for various drugs in the Japan and China regions at UCB. As such, he has been serving various roles in the clinical and business development fields.

As the CEO of HPI, Jeong will first promote the global clinical development of HL036, a novel, topical anti-TNF biologic for the treatment of dry eye disease, and cooperation with other pharmaceutical companies throughout-licensing. To support the roles of HPI, HanAll Biopharma will open a new office and a research center in Boston of the U.S., and plans to additionally recruit key personnel in the U.S.

With the appointment of CEO Jeong, the global clinical development of HL036, currently being jointly developed by HanAll Biopharma and Daewoong Pharmaceutical through cooperation with HBM of China, will be further accelerated. For HL036, Phase 3-1 clinical trials(VELOS-2) began in the U.S. in March of last year, and the top-line results were announced in January of this year. The final results will be presented at the AAO 2020 in the second half of the year. The clinical strategies for the next stage are being established by a global expert group and will be finalized through the Type C meeting with the FDA.

Sean Jeong, CEO of HPI stated that “HanAll Biopharma has secured a competitive new pipeline with which it can contribute significantly to helping patients suffering from autoimmune diseases,” and that “HL036, in particular, is displaying potential as a new medicine for dry eye disease through the Phase 3-1 clinical trials.” CEO Jeong added, “Based on the experiences and expertise built over the years, I will focus on global clinical trials and business developments for the key pipelines, such as HL036 and HL161, and strengthen new potential therapeutic candidates through open collaboration with leading companies overseas.”