Promising Weight-Loss Pill From South Korea’s Sam Chun Dang Creates Country’s Newest Biotech Billionaire
Investor enthusiasm surrounding a next-generation weight-loss pill under development by South Korea’s Sam Chun Dang Pharm has propelled the company’s shares sharply higher—turning its longtime chairman, Yoon Dae-in, into the nation’s newest biotech billionaire.
Shares of Sam Chun Dang Pharm (SCD) have climbed more than 75% so far this month, driven by optimism over the company’s oral alternative to injectable obesity drugs. The rally accelerated last week after SCD announced a partnership with Japanese pharmaceutical giant Daiichi Sankyo to jointly develop and commercialize the pill in Japan.
The surge in market value has pushed Yoon, who owns roughly 34% of the company directly and indirectly, into billionaire territory. Forbes estimates his net worth at approximately $2.1 billion.
A Pill That Could Replace Injections
At the center of investor excitement is SCD’s proprietary drug delivery technology known as S-Pass, which allows injectable medications to be reformulated into oral pills. The technology has drawn attention amid booming global demand for weight-loss and diabetes treatments, a market currently dominated by injectable drugs.
SCD’s weight-loss pill was developed using S-Pass and is designed to offer patients a more convenient alternative to injections—an advantage that analysts say could significantly expand the market for obesity treatments.
Following the announcement of the collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo, SCD shares jumped nearly 40% in just days. While financial terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed, the partnership signals strong confidence from one of Japan’s largest drugmakers in SCD’s formulation technology.
Seoul-based Korea Investment & Securities named SCD a “recommended stock of the week,” citing the “high potential for clinical success” of S-Pass in oral obesity and diabetes therapies.
Beyond Weight Loss: Expanding Drug Platforms
Founded in Hyangnam, south of Seoul, Sam Chun Dang Pharm develops active pharmaceutical ingredients used in treatments for dry-eye disease and high blood pressure. In recent years, the company has increasingly focused on advanced drug delivery systems rather than traditional manufacturing alone.
In addition to S-Pass, SCD has developed a microsphere-based long-acting injectable technology. This platform uses timed-release micro-pellets that allow drugs to be released gradually over several months, reducing the frequency of injections for patients.
Earlier this month, SCD announced a deal potentially worth up to $2 billion related to this technology. Under the agreement, the company secured exclusive rights to sell a long-acting injectable version of leuprorelin, a hormone therapy used to treat prostate cancer, in the United States. The drug was originally developed by Japan’s Takeda.
SCD will receive about $100 million upfront and in milestone payments, with the remaining value of the deal coming from a 50-50 profit-sharing arrangement tied to future sales.
Strong Financial Performance
The company’s financial results have reinforced investor confidence. In the first nine months of 2025, SCD reported revenue of 165.5 billion won ($113 million), up 6.3% from a year earlier. Net income surged 76% over the same period to 70 billion won, reflecting improved margins and growing demand for its technologies.
Analysts say the combination of rising earnings and breakthrough drug platforms has positioned SCD as one of South Korea’s most closely watched biotech firms.
A Company With Deep Roots
Sam Chun Dang Pharm traces its origins back to 1943, when it was established during the Japanese occupation of Korea under the name Chosun Sam Chun Dang. Public records do not identify the company’s original founder.
Yoon Dae-in acquired the business in 1986 after completing his MBA at Long Island University in New York. Using family funds, he purchased the company for an undisclosed sum. Yoon, whose father owned medical centers and educational institutions, had previously studied business as an undergraduate at Seoul National University.
SCD went public in 2000, listing on South Korea’s technology-heavy Kosdaq exchange and raising 9.1 billion won in its initial public offering.
Yoon served as co-chief executive officer alongside his son-in-law, Chun In-seok, until 2022. Chun, who joined the company in 2014, continues to serve as CEO today.
Joining South Korea’s Biotech Elite
Yoon now joins a growing group of South Korean biotech and pharmaceutical billionaires who have benefited from the sector’s rapid expansion.
They include Celltrion founder Seo Jung-jin, worth an estimated $8.5 billion; Alteogen’s Park Soon-jae at $2.7 billion; Caregen founder Chung Yong-ji at $2.1 billion; ABL Bio’s Lee Sang-hoon at $1.6 billion; PharmaResearch’s Jung Sang-soo at $1.2 billion; and Voronoi founder Hyuntae Kim, whose AI-driven cancer drug company has also crossed the billion-dollar mark.
As global demand for obesity treatments and long-acting therapies continues to grow, investors are betting that Sam Chun Dang Pharm’s technologies could place it among Asia’s most influential biotech players—and cement Yoon Dae-in’s legacy as one of the industry’s quiet but transformative figures.
