South Korea has attracted increasing investment from the pharmaceutical industry, which is drawn to the Asian country due to its experience in antibody-drug conjugates and cell and gene therapies, according to McKinsey.
Roche is pouring a total of 710 billion won—or approximately $480 million—into South Korea to boost the country’s R&D capabilities and create an “ecosystem” of global clinical trials.
The investment, reported Wednesday by Asia Business Daily, will be spread out over the next five years and help South Korea attract clinical trials across several key areas, with a particular focus on prevalent and difficult-to-treat diseases. Roche’s money will also go toward training specialized R&D personnel in Korea, as well as supporting domestic biotech startups, helping them eventually enter the global arena.
A spokesperson for Roche confirmed the investment to Fierce Biotech, noting that the partnership with the Korean government will “strengthen the core competitiveness of Korea’s bio-healthcare industry.”
For Roche, the move comes amid a broader push from the biopharma industry to take its clinical trials abroad. South Korea, in particular, is one of the most attractive offshore destinations for multinational pharma players, which are drawn by the country’s experience with antibody-drug conjugates, as well as cell and gene therapies, according to a January report from consulting firm McKinsey.
Indeed, billions of Big Pharma dollars have recently flowed into the country through partnerships. Most recent of these is GSK’s alliance with Alteogen to develop a subcutaneous formulation of the cancer drug Jemperli for $20 million upfront and up to $265 million in milestones. Lilly also bet more than $2.6 billion in November 2025 to link up with ABL Bio and gain access to its bispecific antibody platform.
China has emerged as the top destination for biopharma bucks of late, with McKinsey estimating that between 2019 and 2024, the Asian giant has raised $26 billion in private equity and venture capital funding—to say nothing of the licensing deals that many companies have inked in the country.
Amid the increasing globalization of trials, however, the FDA has sought to contain this drain. In December 2025, Commissioner Marty Makary floated the idea of slapping higher user fees on companies that run their Phase 1 studies abroad.
