HLB bioStep announced its acquisition of 'Croen,' a specialist in non-clinical GLP toxicity testing, on April 25th. This acquisition broadens HLB bioStep's service offerings to include various GLP toxicity tests, enhancing its integrated non-clinical services for pharmaceutical development.

Croen, originally spun off from Seoul National University in 2009, boasts GLP certification for 20 test items from government agencies such as the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) and the Ministry of Environment. It is actively enhancing its capabilities for safety pharmacology testing and additional GLP toxicity testing.

HLB bioStep aims to consolidate its position as the premier GLP toxicity CRO in Korea by investing significantly in Croen's facilities and workforce. Kang Stem Biotech, the former largest shareholder of Croen, has transferred its position to HLB bioStep, maintaining a close cooperative relationship with both entities to enhance corporate value.

Furthermore, HLB bioStep plans to establish a pharmaceutical safety and efficacy evaluation platform based on skin organoid and pancreas organoid technologies in collaboration with Kang Stem Biotech. This initiative will be followed by active pursuit of commercialization for these testing services.

CEO Jeong-Hwan Moon expressed confidence in HLB bioStep's growth prospects, stating, "With one-stop services from efficacy to GLP toxicity testing, we aim to rapidly expand our South Korean market share through aggressive marketing activities." He emphasized the strategic significance of the acquisition in advancing animal-free testing technologies and opening new avenues in domestic non-clinical trials.