Advanced Regenerative Medicine Approved for Rare Lymphoma Patients... Government Grants Regulatory Exemptions for 12 Projects

Demonstration of Underground Hydrogen Charging Facilities Approved
Potential for Urban Hydrogen Infrastructure to Be Verified
Demonstration of Cross Storage for Methanol and Liquefied Carbon Dioxide Also Approved

Yonhap News Agency

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on May 26 that it held the '2nd Industrial Convergence Regulatory Special Review Committee of 2026' and reviewed and approved 12 industrial convergence regulatory sandbox projects.

With this approval, for the first time, patients with rare lymphomas at high risk of recurrence will be able to receive advanced regenerative medical treatments using their own cells. The targeted condition is 'EBV (Epstein-Barr Virus) Positive Extranodal NK/T-Cell Lymphoma.'

Previously, medical institutions that had not completed clinical research on advanced regenerative medicine could not administer such treatments. However, this regulatory exemption now allows treatment even if only commercial clinical trial results have been secured.

This project is a regulatory sandbox initiative jointly promoted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and it marks the first treatment case since the implementation of advanced regenerative medicine policies in February this year. Accordingly, Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital of Catholic University will administer an autologous immune cell therapy, manufactured at Vaicell’s cell processing facility, to 15 patients.

The Ministry expects that this treatment will help eliminate any remaining cancer cells after standard therapies and suppress recurrence, thereby improving patient survival rates.

In the hydrogen energy sector, the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology and others will conduct a demonstration project by constructing hydrogen infrastructure—including underground hydrogen storage containers and fuel cells—and supplying gaseous hydrogen from above ground.

There had been difficulties in advancing such projects due to the lack of legal standards for underground installation of general high-pressure gas manufacturing facilities. However, the government granted a demonstration exemption on the condition that a safety management plan be established. The Ministry expects this to verify the potential for urban underground hydrogen charging facilities and to lay the foundation for revitalizing the hydrogen economy.

In the transportation sector, the Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering and others will conduct a demonstration for offshore methanol production by alternately storing and transporting liquefied carbon dioxide and methanol in a single vessel.

Currently, a change notification is required every time the cargo changes, meaning that at least two vessels are needed to transport liquefied carbon dioxide and methanol. However, with this demonstration exemption, cross storage and transport can now be conducted using just one vessel, which is expected to reduce vessel operation costs.

Kim Sungyeol, Director General for Industrial Growth Policy at the Ministry, stated, "This committee is significant in that it broke down barriers among ministries and resolved regulatory difficulties in key emerging industries such as medical care, hydrogen energy, and transportation. We will swiftly remove cumbersome regulations in the field to accelerate corporate innovation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.