This year, PET Pharm Biotech's operations are experiencing significant growth, with both revenue and profits expected to see high growth. The company is also planning a capital increase of approximately 5,000 shares and intends to apply for listing on the Innovative Board in September.
General Manager Terry Lin pointed out that three key trends are driving the growth of nuclear medicine: the aging population, the increasing popularity of positron emission tomography (PET), and the shift of nuclear medicine from diagnostic use to therapeutic applications. However, due to the half-life of nuclear medicines, there are transportation limitations that require delivery within eight hours, which creates regional constraints. PET Pharm's main supply bases are in Xinzhuang and Miaoli, with the primary service area covering regions north of Taichung. To enhance its presence in the southern and eastern regions, the company acquired an 80% stake in Lemen Bioscientific, located in Kaohsiung, in March for NT$110 million, at a price of NT$18 per share.
In addition to the Lemen acquisition, PET Pharm Biotech also announced on the 21st that it has signed a technology transfer agreement with the South Korean radiopharmaceutical company DuChembio to introduce the PET radiopharmaceutical "18F-FP-CIT" for Parkinson's disease diagnosis. Since its approval, the drug has been used more than 125,000 times and has become the standard diagnostic tool for Parkinson's disease imaging in South Korea.
According to the agreement, PET Pharm Biotech will handle the entire process of bringing the drug to market in Taiwan, including clinical trials, production under GMP standards, distribution, and sales. It is expected to be part of the company's operations by the second or third quarter of next year.
Terry Lin explained that 18F-FP-CIT is a radiopharmaceutical that helps diagnose Parkinson's disease by measuring the density of dopamine transporters (DAT) in the brain's striatum. Compared to existing diagnostic agents, it has higher binding specificity and imaging contrast, allowing it to detect subtle degenerative changes in the nigrostriatal pathway even before symptoms appear, making it highly effective for Parkinson's disease diagnosis. As demand increases, advanced neuroimaging diagnostic technologies like this are expected to gain more attention. According to Taiwan's National Health Insurance Administration, as of 2021, the total number of Parkinson's disease patients in Taiwan reached 77,428, with more than 11,000 new patients added annually. It is expected that the number of Parkinson's disease patients in Taiwan will exceed 100,000 this year.
Resource: 併購效應發威 吉晟生今年營運俏
