Hee-mok Won

Biography

  ince its foundation in 1945, the Korea Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (KPBMA) has been committed to improving healthcare for the people and developing Korea’s pharmaceutical industry. In developing, producing, distributing and consuming medicinal products, the Korean pharmaceu-tical industry produces and supplies safe and high-quality medicines drugs by applying regulations that meet the international standards of ICH Guidelines as well as the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act of Korea.  The level of the infrastructure, quality and management for pharmaceutical production in Korea was particularly recognized when the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety joined PIC/S (The Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme) together with Japan in 2014.  In 2015, when the KPBMA celebrated its 70th anniversary, Hanmi Pharmaceutical made a series of technology export contracts worth of 7.8 billion US dollars, proving the global competitiveness of Korean pharma industry and showing the great potential that the industry can be a future growth engine in Korea. Based on relentless R&D, we are now seeing the 27 new drugs developed by Korean companies so far.  As for exports of Korean pharmaceutical products, medicines worth of more than 2 billion US dollars are being sold in the global market, including in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America, and each year sees more than 10% of sales growth. For example, one Korean new drug re-corded the best in the prescription rate in the South and Middle America, proving that the Excellency of made-in-Korea drug is well recognized on the global stage.  The Korean government has announced its vision of a Korea that ranks among the top 7 pharmaceu-tical powers by putting 2 Korean companies in the top 50 pharmaceutical companies in the world and developing 10 new drugs by the year 2020. If the government policy continues to recognize the pharmaceutical industry as a new growth engine and focuses on a virtuous cycle of R&D investment, Korea’s pharmaceutical industry will surely be able to achieve success in the global market.  The calling of this time for the KPBMA is new drug development through progressive R&D, entering into the global market, establishing transparent and ethical management. In order to continue to grow as the next growth engine in the Korean economy and to gain trust and love of the people by fulfilling the calling, the KPBMA will not spare any efforts.

Research Interest

 Pharmaceutical sciences