Early Life and Education
Park Soon-jae was born on December 22, 1954, in Gunsan, South Korea. He graduated from Seoul High School in 1973. Park received a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Yonsei University in 1980 and earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Purdue University in 1985. He furthered his research as a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1986 to 1988.
Rise to Success
Park Soon-jae's career began with various biotechnology research positions in South Korea, starting in 1988. In 1998, he became the head of development in LG Chem. He later served in multiple leadership roles within LG Chem's life sciences division. Park has a management experience, such as serving as the CEO of Binex, one of the first CMOs in Korea. Park founded Alteogen in 2008 with his wife, Chung Hye-shin. In December 2024, Alteogen had the largest market capitalization in the KOSDAQ exchange.
Key Business Strategies
Park Soon-jae's main source of wealth comes from biopharmaceuticals. Park's biotechnology company, Alteogen, focuses on biosimilars and bio-betters. Alteogen is known for its ALT-B4, an enzyme with technology that allows drugs to be administered subcutaneously. In 2024, Merck agreed to a licensing deal to use ALT-B4 for the drug giant's cancer drug pembrolizumab. By June 2024, he held a 19.2% stake of Alteogen.
Philanthropy
Specific details about Park Soon-jae's philanthropic activities and amounts are unavailable in the provided search results.