South Korea emerges as pharma licensing hub with 113% growth

South Korea is fast becoming a focal point for global biopharmaceutical licensing, with deal values reaching $7.86 billion year-to-date in 2025, a 113% jump on the previous year, according to GlobalData. The rebound follows a drop in 2024, when total deal value fell to $3.67 billion amid wider economic challenges.

GlobalData senior business fundamentals analyst Ophelia Chan said the momentum is being fueled by multi-billion-dollar agreements involving major players such as Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) and GSK (LSE: GSK).

Ms Chan noted that South Korea, once better known for generic drugs, is “transitioning into a global hub for novel innovative drug discovery and advanced drug technologies.”