Hugel posts record first-half earnings on botulinum toxin surge

Hugel, a global medical aesthetics company, set a new first-half earnings record Thursday, driven by broad-based growth across all business lines including botulinum toxin and fillers.

The company disclosed Thursday on a consolidated basis that it posted sales of 254.5 billion won ($179 million), operating profit of 103.7 billion won and net profit of 85.3 billion won for the first half of 2026. Compared with the same period a year earlier, sales rose 27.2 percent, operating profit gained 8.4 percent and net profit climbed 23.5 percent.

Second-quarter sales reached 137.9 billion won, up 25.1 percent year-on-year, while net profit rose 17.1 percent to 44.7 billion won, extending the company's streak of record quarterly results. Operating profit for the quarter held steady at 56 billion won, reflecting upfront investment in building a direct-sales operation in the United States and strategic marketing initiatives aimed at future growth.

Botulinum toxin, the company's flagship product, drove the earnings gains. First-half toxin sales surged 46.6 percent year-on-year to 149.4 billion won. Revenue from the Americas — including the United States and Brazil — more than doubled, while the Asia-Pacific and European regions each posted growth in the mid-to-high 20 percent range.

The filler and skinbooster segment generated first-half sales of 66.1 billion won, buoyed by momentum in the European market. The cosmetics and other segment posted a 31.7 percent year-on-year increase to 39 billion won, demonstrating the strength of Hugel's total medical aesthetics portfolio.

Carrie Strom, Hugel's global CEO, said the record first-half results "clearly demonstrate Hugel's global competitiveness," adding that the company would consistently execute its core strategies — expanding its presence in the United States, the world's largest market, while maintaining a leading position in South Korea.

Jang Du-hyeon, Hugel's Korea CEO, said the company is achieving balanced growth across major overseas markets on the back of solid domestic leadership. "We will continue to strengthen our core business competitiveness and push forward with portfolio diversification," he said.