Dead Donors' Skin Fuels $75M K-Beauty Boom

Injectable beauty treatments derived from the skin of deceased Americans are driving tens of millions of dollars in global sales and are now set for a US market launch. South Korea has become a hub for these treatments, with at least 10 biotech companies involved. The market leader, Re2O, manufactured by L&C Bio, is expected to generate $75 million in sales in South Korea this year.

L&C Bio recently signed a contract to supply at least $60 million of its Re2O product to the US over the next five years. The company asserts that Re2O, a product utilizing decellularized, dried, and powdered donor skin, may not require FDA approval, a claim that has drawn scrutiny from the agency. Some products utilizing donated tissue have faced regulatory hurdles in the past.

The supply chain for these treatments originates in the United States, where tens of thousands of Americans donate tissue annually. These donations are collected by organ procurement organizations and tissue banks, with a significant portion, approximately 90%, of the tissue used in South Korea being imported from the US. While donors and their families are not paid, substantial revenues are generated throughout the tissue processing and distribution chain.