"Home to the World’s Only Large-Scale EV Production Facility... Developing New Drugs for CNS Disorders"

Commercializing the 'LpEV Platform' Utilizing Microbial EVs
Modulating Various Biological Mechanisms Such as Reducing Oxidative Stress and Suppressing Inflammation
Establishing Clinical-Grade Drug Production Systems... Completion of Preclinical

At the MD Healthcare headquarters located in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, there is a facility capable of producing active pharmaceutical ingredients derived from microbial extracellular vesicles (EVs). The company mass-produces nano-sized particles secreted by the probiotic strain Lactobacillus paracasei, which are referred to as "LpEV." Building on this technology, the company is actively pursuing the commercialization of its EV platform, developing new drugs, functional health foods, and cosmetics. In an interview with The Asia Business Daily on July 28, Kim Yoongeun, CEO of MD Healthcare, stated, "We operate the only facility in the world capable of large-scale production of EVs that can precisely deliver microbial compounds into cells."

Kim Yoongeun, CEO of MD Healthcare, is posing in front of the headquarters laboratory located in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Dongju Yoon

CEO Kim, who graduated from Seoul National University College of Medicine, is a clinician who completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in allergy and clinical immunology at Seoul National University Hospital. While serving as a professor of internal medicine, he conducted research on the immune mechanisms underlying intractable asthma that does not respond well to steroid treatment. He said, "Encounters with patients whose conditions could not be explained solely by existing research in the clinical setting made me realize the need to identify the root causes of diseases."

In 2006, Kim moved to the Department of Life Sciences at Pohang University of Science and Technology, where he focused on researching pathogens associated with atopic dermatitis. He noted that significantly higher levels of EVs derived from Lactobacillus were found in healthy individuals. EVs are ultra-fine particles, ranging in size from 30 to 200 nanometers, which are naturally secreted by bacteria or cells and contain a variety of biological substances such as proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and metabolites. They serve as key mediators of intercellular communication.

The core technology developed by MD Healthcare is the "LpEV platform," which utilizes EVs derived from Lactobacillus paracasei. LpEVs have demonstrated the ability to regulate aging-related biological mechanisms, including reducing oxidative stress, inhibiting chronic inflammation, and restoring mitochondrial function. Kim developed a technology to produce these vesicles at high purity and established a facility compliant with current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standards, enabling the production of clinical trial drugs. The company has filed more than 300 domestic and international patent applications in the fields of EV therapeutics and diagnostics. He explained, "Unlike conventional probiotics that use live bacteria, we isolate and purify only the EVs secreted by these bacteria. Whereas low-molecular-weight compounds have limited modes of action, EVs can deliver their contents directly into cells and regulate a wide range of biological functions, including gene expression and mitochondrial activity."

MD Healthcare was particularly focused on the fact that EVs can cross not only mucosal and vascular endothelial cells but also the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Leveraging this property, the company is developing EV-based therapeutics for central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and autism spectrum disorder. Its flagship pipeline, "MDH-014," has completed non-clinical studies for these three indications and received Investigational New Drug (IND) approval in Australia. Kim emphasized, "The key advantage is the high level of safety, as the active ingredient is the EV secreted by beneficial bacteria."

Kim Yoongeun, CEO of MD Healthcare, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the headquarters located in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yun Dongju

Given that new drug development requires both significant time and enormous capital, MD Healthcare is implementing a strategy to pursue both the development of therapeutics and the commercialization of consumer products, such as functional health foods and cosmetics. Since the end of last year, the company has partnered with NurturingMed of China to supply a lineup of anti-aging products based on LpEV to local hospitals and health management centers through Yiling Group, China's largest healthcare conglomerate.

The company's soon-to-be-launched LpEV-based feminine cleanser was also developed using EVs that probiotics naturally utilize for communication with the vaginal mucosa, rather than the live bacteria themselves. According to the company, while typical cleansers on the market often function like soaps by stripping away the lipid layer of the skin and mucosa—thereby weakening the biological barrier—the LpEV product allows EVs to be absorbed into the mucosa and strengthen the integrity of the barrier itself.

"LpEV is a platform technology built on scientific evidence robust enough for pharmaceutical development," Kim said. "We will continue to expand its applications, focusing on biological barrier tissues such as skin and mucous membranes."

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