The South Korean man who founded two drug companies those are among Asia’s best-performing stocks for the past year is seeing his fortune climb after vaulting into the region’s billionaire’s club. Hanmi Science Co. has surged 971% while its subsidiary Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. has gained 805% through Monday over the last 12 months after a string of licensing deals with global drug makers. The rally gave founder Lim Sung-ki a net worth of about $2.7 billion as of Monday’s close, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires index. Hanmi Pharm has in recent months entered into partnerships with international companies including Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Sanofi and Eli Lilly Co. for drugs it is developing as potential treatments for conditions such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
