Multinational pharmaceutical companies are increasingly investing in R&D in Korea’s domestic pharmaceutical industry through open innovation.

According to the Korean Research-based Pharmaceutical Industry Association (KRPIA), the total amount of R&D invested in clinical research in Korea in 2022 was KRW 817.8 billion and has been on the rise for 3 consecutive years.

AstraZeneca Korea, which recently introduced bold new drugs such as Enhertu and Imfinzi, is also aiming to create a virtuous cycle of shared growth with the domestic pharmaceutical industry through active R&D investment.

AZ invests more than 30% of sales in R&D...makes notable achievements in developing innovative drugs 

AstraZeneca Korea's sales surpassed the KRW 600 billion mark in 2021 (KRW 655.3 billion), based on audited financial statements.

At the time, sales were boosted by its COVID-19 vaccine, but the company's robust anti-cancer portfolio and rare disease therapies acquired through the acquisition of Alexion have since become new growth drivers, posting sales of KRW 615.1 billion in 2022 and KRW 639.3 billion in 2023.

AstraZeneca Korea's sales growth is significant because the company has invested more than 30% of its revenue back into the domestic industry.

According to the company, it invested KRW 215 billion in Korea in 2023, which is about 34% of its annual revenue. Of this, KRW 116 billion was spent on clinical research.

This coincides with the discussions it had made at the Korea-Sweden Business Summit that was held in Stockholm, Sweden in 2019. At that time, AstraZeneca announced a plan to invest KRW 850 billion in Korea, which it implemented for 5 years.


AstraZeneca's investment in Korea is particularly noteworthy because it is not limited to R&D.

For example, the global clinical TOPAZ-1 trial of the immuno-oncology drug Imfinzi, which was led by Dr. Do-Yoon Oh, professor of Medical Oncology at Seoul National University Hospital, changed the global biliary tract cancer treatment paradigm by showing the potential to improve survival outcomes in biliary tract cancer, a disease with an average survival period of less than one year with existing treatments.

In 2023, the company co-developed and launched Sidapvia, a combination diabetes drug, after 4 years of collaboration with SK chemicals, and is currently working together for its global commercialization.

AstraZeneca Korea is also expanding its collaboration with the Korean government to strengthen domestic research capabilities. The company has been running the ‘KHIDI-AZ Anti-Cancer Research Support Program’ for over a decade, a program that selects and supports research projects in the field of anti-cancer with the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), with the goal of overcoming cancer, the No.1 cause of death in Korea.


Four of the projects that have been completed under the program have led to tangible results, including the publication of▲SCI papers, ▲lectures at the official international conferences of the Korean Diabetes Association and the Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes, and ▲publications in the Journal of the Korean Diabetes Association.

As a result of these open innovation achievements, the company has been selected as an 'innovative pharmaceutical company accredited by the Ministry of Health and Welfare' for 6 consecutive years since 2018. As of June, there are only 3 multinational pharmaceutical companies that fall in the innovative pharmaceutical company category as announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Aims to create a patient-centered care ecosystem and rebuild community for development

Ultimately, AstraZeneca Korea believes that beyond the development and supply of innovative medicines, it is necessary to address the blind spots in treatment that occur in the pre-approval and reimbursement stages.

Examples include attracting clinical trials to Korea so that patients can start treatment with innovative medicines that are not yet available in the country, and running patient support programs to increase patient access to medicines that are yet to be reimbursed in Korea.

As of 2023, AstraZeneca Korea is conducting approximately 130 clinical trials in Korea, making it the pharmaceutical company with the most clinical trials approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), excluding CROs.

Through AstraZeneca's clinical trials, about 2,600 cancer patients in Korea have received new anti-cancer drugs in the last 5 years (2018-2023), and about 1,004 patients with ultra-rare diseases have been treated through a total of 37 clinical trials in the last 6 years (2019-2024).

The company also continuously expands support to minimize treatment gaps. Currently, more than 10 early access programs are in place, and it is known that about 260 cancer and extremely rare disease patients have received treatment through these programs so far.


“AstraZeneca is committed to the development and supply of innovative medicines through increased investment in Korea, including in R&D talent,” said Sewhan Chon, Country President of AstraZeneca Korea. ‘We are constantly striving to create a healthcare ecosystem that can mutually grow with our community across the pharmaceutical industry, medical research, and patients’ lives.”