Hlbpanagene
Public · 2 known investors
HLB Panagene develops molecular diagnostics and immunodiagnostics solutions, including cancer biomarkers and respiratory/cardiovascular tests for precision medicine and point-of-care applications. The company serves healthcare systems and diagnostics markets primarily in the Middle East and is expanding into GCC countries and Europe.
Also known as HLB Panagene · Panagene · Panagene Inc.
Founders & leadership
Investors · 2
Company profile
researched Aug 2026HLB Panagene, founded in 2001 as Panagene Inc. and renamed HLB Panagene in August 2023, is a Daejeon, South Korea-based company built around peptide nucleic acid (PNA) chemistry. It secured core PNA mass-production technology and worldwide exclusive supply rights in 2006, and states that it holds exclusive sales rights for PNA and is the sole commercial provider of the material. Its PNA business supplies custom-designed PNA oligos, gamma PNA, PNA FISH probes and PNA monomers, with synthesis up to 50 bases, HPLC purification to >95% standard purity, and an extensive catalogue of fluorophore/quencher, linker, functional-group, peptide-conjugation, gamma/alpha backbone, base-modification and DNA-PNA chimera options, manufactured under ISO 9001:2015-certified quality management.
The second pillar is molecular diagnostics. PNA-based platform technologies branded PNAClamp, PANAMutyper, PANA RealTyper and PANA qPCR underpin oncology assays for lung (EGFR), colorectal (KRAS/NRAS), thyroid and skin (BRAF) cancer plus targets including ROS1, IDH1/IDH2, PIK3CA, BCR-ABL, JAK2, c-KIT, TERT and EML4-ALK, across tissue-biopsy and liquid-biopsy formats, and infectious disease assays for HPV genotyping and screening, STD, CRE and TB/NTM. The company describes having developed the first-in-class liquid biopsy detection kit in Korea. Product approvals and registrations span Korea's MFDS/KFDA, CE marking including CE-IVDR for PANA RealTyper HPV 40-type, screening and STD kits (2025-11), Malaysia's MDA and Pakistan's DRAP. In December 2025 it launched a spatial proteomics analysis service using the Hyperion XTi imaging system.
More recently the company has moved toward therapeutics, developing antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOC) that combine its PNA design and modification technology with antibody-based delivery. Its first target indication is Duchenne muscular dystrophy, where it aims to improve muscle-targeted delivery and intracellular gene silencing, with plans to expand to other rare and genetic diseases and to pursue co-development and technology licensing with global pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
Founding story
Panagene Inc. was founded in April 2001; in February 2002 it filed a patent on a PNA Bts monomer and a chemical process for PNA oligomer synthesis, and in 2003 was named a cluster R&D entrepreneur on the strength of its proprietary technology.
Business model
The company sells PNA raw materials and custom-synthesized PNA oligonucleotides to research and industrial customers, and PNA-based in-vitro diagnostic kits and platforms to clinical and research laboratories, distributing through partners in multiple countries. It is additionally building a therapeutics platform (PNA-AOC) intended to generate co-development and technology-licensing opportunities with pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
Revenue comes from sales of PNA materials and custom oligo synthesis services, diagnostic kit sales, and related services such as spatial proteomics analysis; management attributes recent revenue growth to broader interest in and expanded supply of PNA materials.
Traction
Standalone H1 results of KRW 6.81993 billion revenue, KRW 526.11 million operating profit and KRW 2.03615 billion net profit, following full-year operating profits of KRW 749.49 million in 2024 and KRW 736.26 million in 2025. Regulatory milestones include CE-IVDR certification for HPV 40-type, screening and STD kits, MFDS approval of OncoTector ROS1, DRAP (Pakistan) registrations for eight PNAClamp kits, and Malaysian MDA registration of PANAMutyper EGFR V2. The company was designated among 1,000+ Global Leading Companies in April 2026.
Latest developments
In August 2026 the company reported first-half operating profit of KRW 526.11 million and a two-year operating profit streak, announced it would deliver the opening keynote on PNA at Oligonucleotide & Peptide Xchange 2026 in San Francisco in September 2026 (arranged via U.S. distribution partner Chemgenes), and disclosed a PNA-AOC program targeting Duchenne muscular dystrophy with plans to extend the platform to other rare and genetic diseases.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
A long-established specialty supplier in the PNA materials niche and a Korean molecular diagnostics developer, reporting standalone first-half revenue of KRW 6.82 billion and a second consecutive year of operating profitability, while seeking to expand from materials and diagnostics into nucleic acid therapeutics.
The company states it holds exclusive worldwide supply rights for commercial PNA and is the sole commercial provider of the material, and positions PNA as offering higher binding affinity, specificity and stability than conventional oligonucleotides. It also cites first-in-class liquid biopsy detection kits in Korea and world-first commercialization of a PNA chip in 2009.
Technology
Proprietary PNA synthesis and mass-production chemistry, including a patented PNA Bts monomer and PNA oligomer synthesis process, gamma and alpha backbone modifications, modified bases, peptide and DNA conjugation, and dye/quencher labeling. Diagnostic platforms include PNAClamp, PANAMutyper, PANA RealTyper and PANA qPCR, applied to ultra-low-frequency mutation detection (patent registered 2023-09) and liquid biopsy. The therapeutic program combines PNA design/modification with antibody-oligonucleotide conjugate technology for tissue-selective oligonucleotide delivery.
Go-to-market
Direct sales and web-based ordering and inquiry from its Daejeon headquarters, combined with distribution and supply agreements — historically with Eurogentec (Belgium), CBC (Japan), DAKO (Denmark), Abnova, AdvanDx and Thermo Fisher Scientific, and currently with Chemgenes as its U.S. PNA distribution partner. It also uses regulatory registrations in overseas markets and speaking slots at industry conferences such as Oligonucleotide & Peptide Xchange 2026 in San Francisco to reach global drug developers.
Research institutions and pharmaceutical/biotech companies purchasing PNA materials and custom oligos; clinical and diagnostic laboratories and hospitals using its oncology and infectious disease IVD kits; and distribution partners in the United States, Japan, Europe and Asian markets.
Geography
Headquartered at 54, Techno 10-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34027, South Korea, with a research building completed in 2017. Products reach international markets through distributors and registrations in the United States (via Chemgenes), Japan, Belgium, Denmark, Malaysia and Pakistan, alongside CE marking for Europe.
History
After its 2001 founding, the company signed early PNA supply and production agreements with ISIS Pharmaceuticals (2004), PPL and DAKO (2005), and in 2006 secured core PNA mass-production technology plus worldwide exclusive supply rights. It obtained PNA monomer licenses and an exclusive AdvanDx supply contract in 2007, moved to its current headquarters and merged with KOSDAQ-listed Koram Panagene Ltd. in 2008, and commercialized the world's first PNA chip in 2009. ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 13485:2003 certifications followed in 2010 along with a Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award; agreements with Abnova and Merck Serono came in 2011. KFDA approvals for PNAClamp EGFR, KRAS and BRAF (2013), a Thermo Fisher Scientific real-time PCR partnership (2016), and KFDA approvals for PANA RealTyper STD (2018) and CRE (2019) marked the following decade. The company was renamed HLB Panagene in August 2023, acquired BioSquare Co., Ltd. in May 2024, added international registrations and CE-IVDR certifications in 2025, launched a spatial proteomics service in December 2025, and in January 2026 signed a strategic partnership with RocGene including exclusive domestic distribution rights for RocGene POCT products.
Risks & controversies
Reported operating profits are small relative to revenue, and the therapeutic PNA-AOC program remains at the efficacy- and safety-validation stage ahead of preclinical development, with commercialization dependent on co-development or licensing agreements. Source material notes that other companies' Duchenne muscular dystrophy programs have failed to demonstrate motor-function improvement.
Compiled by commissioned research from 5 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 32
launches, deals, and filingsAnnounced it is validating an approach combining proprietary PNA design and modification technology with antibody-oligonucleotide conjugate technology to improve muscle-targeted delivery and gene silencing, starting with DMD.
Announced it would give the opening keynote at the oligonucleotide and peptide drug development conference held in September 2026 in San Francisco; the slot was arranged through U.S. PNA distribution partner Chemgenes.
Signed a strategic partnership agreement with RocGene and secured exclusive domestic distribution rights for RocGene POCT products.
Also acquired a KFDA pharmaceutical manufacturing license for the PANArray HPV Chip.
Filed a patent covering the PNA Bts monomer and a chemical process for the synthesis of PNA oligomers.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 5
primary sources listed
- Hlbpanagenehlbpanagene.com · web
5 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Hlbpanagene do?
- Korean maker of PNA (peptide nucleic acid) oligonucleotides and PNA-based molecular diagnostic kits, now developing PNA-AOC therapeutics.
- Who are Hlbpanagene's investors?
- Hlbpanagene's investors include Atinum Investment Co. Ltd., Kiwoom Investment.