Bio-based New Drug Material Developer "BioTen" Surpasses 10 Billion KRW(7.4 million USD) in Revenue

Source: Kukmin Ilbo
Original Korean news link: https://www.kmib.co.kr/article/view.asp?arcid=0018112265
Date: March 31, 2023, 11:16

BioTen, a developer of bio-based new drug materials, has surpassed 10 billion KRW in revenue. The company, which registered a food patent material, TenQumin S Plus (TSP), and demonstrated its therapeutic effect in animal experiments for COVID-19, has achieved remarkable growth.

BioTen, based in Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do, has been conducting joint research, patent applications, and technology transfer agreements with the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) since 2013. The company manufactures and sells food and supplemental feed products based on its core material TenQumin S Plus (TSP) and its solubilization technology WIN-T.

Last year, BioTen achieved 10.7 billion KRW(7.4 million USD) in revenue, marking a 100% growth compared to the previous year. This success is considered a model case of public-private collaboration, with a public research institution and a local small business working together on joint research, patent application and registration, and successful commercialization.

BioTen, a company specializing in the development of new drug materials, has achieved remarkable progress in enhancing the bioavailability and safety of its core material, TenQmin S Plus. By solubilizing curcumin—a natural compound extracted from turmeric—using a natural solubilizer, BioTen has significantly improved its clinical applicability as a food ingredient. Both curcumin and the natural solubilizer are registered with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and have received GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status from the U.S. FDA, ensuring their safety.

In recent studies, acute toxicity tests conducted on rats demonstrated that the lethal dose of TenQminSPlus exceeded 2,000 mg/kg in both male and female subjects. These findings support the safety of TenQmin S Plus for human consumption. Building on this, BioTen is actively pursuing the development of health supplements and therapeutic candidates targeting high-pathogenic viruses (such as COVID-19), cancer, obesity, diabetes, and liver diseases. The company remains committed to ongoing research to expand the potential applications of TenQmin S Plus.