Hugel Inc., a leading global medical aesthetics company publicly traded in South Korea, has accelerated its growth strategy by adding an extracellular matrix (ECM)-based injectable treatment to its portfolio.
The company announced Wednesday that it inked a distribution agreement with Hans Biomed, a Korean medical materials manufacturer, to distribute the ECM product CellREDM™ in the domestic market amid rapidly growing demand. Hans Biomed is the first tissue bank operator in Asia that has obtained approval from the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), one of the world’s most authoritative organizations setting standards for tissue banks and evaluating their quality and ethical compliance.
CellREDM™, an injectable treatment derived from human acellular dermal matrix (hADM), promotes skin regeneration by supplementing extracellular matrix components such as collagen and elastin. With this addition, Hugel aims to improve its comprehensive medical aesthetic solutions, extending beyond wrinkle reduction and volumization to include skin regeneration.
The contract marks Hugel’s strategic move in portfolio expansion through collaboration with third-party products as it has primarily focused on its in-house products. The company expects strong synergies with its existing offerings as ECM-based injectables are often used in combination with dermal fillers.
Under the partnership, the two parties will adopt a co-promotion model tailored to the expertise of specialized clinics, enhancing supply efficiency and facilitating accelerated market penetration.
“Through our partnership with Hugel, we will leverage our innovative tissue processing technology as Korea’s first tissue bank to highlight the superior quality of CellREDM, which reduces post-procedure downtime and pain, and drive further growth,” said Geun Young Kim, CEO of Hans Biomed.
“We will swiftly respond to rising demand in the medical aesthetics market to further strengthen our leadership in the industry. We see this agreement as a starting point for Hugel’s business expansion and will continue to explore innovative products and opportunities in Korea and overseas,” said Daniel Chang, Korea CEO of Hugel.
Hugel will continue to pursue strategic business development initiatives to quickly respond to evolving demand in medical aesthetics and further optimize its portfolio. The company is proactively exploring opportunities to expand into innovative aesthetic materials beyond ECM, including poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), polynucleotide (PN), and polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN).
