South Korea’s APR Co., one of the country’s fastest-growing beauty companies, is charting a bold new path in biotechnology as it looks to establish itself as a global leader in anti-aging solutions. The company announced plans to develop injectable skin-regeneration therapies using polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN), a DNA-derived compound extracted from salmon and widely used in popular treatments like PharmaResearch’s Rejuran.
Best known for its Medicube skincare line and AGE-R beauty devices, APR is already the largest beauty company in South Korea by market capitalization. Building on that momentum, the company intends to launch a radio-frequency medical device for hospitals and clinics in 2026. “We want to become the world’s No. 1 anti-aging company within five to ten years,” said CEO Kim Byung-hoon at the Amazon Beauty in Seoul conference. “Humanity’s ultimate and inevitable skin concern is aging. Our goal is to become the company that helps people overcome it.”
APR began producing PDRN in-house at its Pyeongtaek plant last year for use in its cosmetics, and is now pushing further into regenerative injectables, one of the fastest-growing categories in aesthetic medicine. Analysts say this pivot reflects APR’s ambition to evolve from a rising K-beauty name into a global anti-aging powerhouse, spanning skincare, devices, and medical therapies.
The move highlights a broader trend of convergence between Korea’s beauty industry and medical aesthetics, as brands seek higher-margin opportunities beyond traditional cosmetics. APR’s rapid global ascent reinforces this strategy: during Amazon Prime Day in July, the company generated 30 billion won ($21.5 million) in sales, six times more than the previous year.
