Starting from the production of plasma derivatives in 1970 for the first time in Korea, which needed highly difficult technologies, it started producing Urokinase, an anti-apoplexy factor. Following this, it developed the vaccine for Hepatitis B in 1983, for the third time in the world, together with Mokam Life Science Research Center, its R&D think tank. With this, it greatly contributed to the improvement of the public health. In 1988, it developed the vaccine for epidemic hemorrhagic fever for the first time in the world; in 1993, it developed the vaccine for chicken-pox for the second time in the world; and in 1987, it developed the diagnostic reagent for AIDS for the first time in Korea. With such development, it has grown to an international company specialized in the biopharmaceutical field with differentiated know-how and competitiveness.As a result of such devotion to the life science field for last 30 years, Green Cross is evaluated as the only company whose percentage of biopharmaceuticals in the total sales is over 70%. In addition, it has invested about 7% of its sales in R&D every year, the highest level in the domestic industry, since its establishment. According to the report by the Korea Stock Exchange, Green Cross is the number one company among 497 listed companies that invested the most (22.8 billion won) in acquiring the patent and the only pharmaceutical company among 15 high ranking companies in terms of the ratio of investment to total sales, as of December 1999. Last year (2000), it invested 15.8 billion won in R&D, which ranked it the unquestioned number one not only in terms of the investment amount but also in terms of the ratio of investment to sales (9.5%). Green Cross is working hard to develop internationally new medicines, with the concentrated investment of 132 billion won in R&D by 2005.
