Dongkuk Pharmaceutical announced that it achieved record sales and operating profit in the first quarter of this year.
The company reported consolidated sales of 251 billion won ($211 million), operating profit of 27.3 billion won ($23 million), and net profit of 26.3 billion won ($22 million) for the first quarter. These figures represent increases of 12.2%, 8%, and 46.4%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.
On a standalone basis, sales rose by 15.9% to 212.4 billion won ($178 million), while operating profit increased by 12.3% to 23.3 billion won ($19.5 million). Net profit also saw a significant rise of 40.6%, reaching 23.6 billion won ($19.8 million).
The company attributed its sales growth to improved efficiency in selling and administrative expenses and enhanced profitability in its Health & Beauty (H&B) division. The dermacosmetic brand Centellian24 continued to grow in global markets, including North America, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, with exports increasing by 332% compared to the previous year.
Centellian24 is expanding its presence in key channels such as Watsons, beauty edit shop Beautrium, Central Department Store, and the beauty platform Konvi, while also strengthening its local distribution network in Thailand through various online and offline channels. The company's strategy to leverage its established trust as a pharmaceutical firm to expand into consumer goods, including cosmetics and beauty devices, has been recognized as a key driver of sales growth.
By business division, the over-the-counter (OTC), prescription (ETC), Health & Beauty, global business sectors, and subsidiary Dongkuk Life Sciences all experienced balanced growth.
The OTC division continued its growth based on strengthened brand competitiveness and expansion into the general product market. Although the ETC division faced price reductions affecting injectables, it still expanded due to the growth of the cholesterol treatment drug Rosutanjett.
The global (export) division was also bolstered by the expansion of Lorelin in the Latin American and Asian markets, with increased sales of the general anesthetic Propofol and the antibiotic raw material Teicoplanin. The antibiotic raw material Teicoplanin has also shown consistent growth.
Dongkuk Pharmaceutical plans to expand its future pipeline through open innovation and accelerate the development of new products based on its drug delivery system (DDS). The company is currently commercializing the prostate cancer treatment Lorelin (one-month and three-month formulations) using microsphere technology. Additionally, it aims to strengthen its growth drivers through new products in its DDS pipeline, including obesity treatments, acromegaly treatments, and immunosuppressants.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.