Gyeonggi Techno Park Partners with Seoul National University to Develop Next-Generation Anti-Obesity Drug Candidates

The Gyeonggi Province Economic Science Promotion Agency (Gyeonggi Techno Park) will participate as a joint research institution in the Ministry of Health and Welfare's "Global Physician-Scientist Training" program, led by Seoul National University, to develop next-generation anti-obesity drug candidates.

This national research and development project will receive a total government R&D budget of 7.125 billion won over five years. Its goals are to train physician-scientists who combine medicine and basic science, and to discover new drug candidates that overcome the limitations of existing anti-obesity treatments.

The "Global Physician-Scientist Training" program is a national R&D project that supports licensed physicians in conducting world-class basic and translational research.

The project is centered on the Research & Business Foundation of Seoul National University, and involves major domestic research institutions including the Gyeonggi Province Economic Science Promotion Agency, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Asan Medical Center of Seoul, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital at the Catholic University of Korea, and the National Primate Research Center of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology.

In addition, the project will collaborate with overseas research institutions such as the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW), and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore.

Within this project, the Gyeonggi Province Economic Science Promotion Agency will be responsible for synthesizing and optimizing the structure of new drug candidates.

By leveraging its experience and infrastructure in bio research and development, the agency plans to discover small-molecule compounds that effectively target specific proteins and develop promising drug candidates with superior efficacy and properties.

Gyeonggi Institute of Economy and Science Promotion is collaborating with Seoul National University to develop next-generation obesity treatment candidate substances. Provided by Gyeonggi Institute of Economy and Science Promotion

The agency also aims to establish a collaborative research system that links basic research, the discovery and development of drug candidates, and preclinical research by combining the capabilities of universities, hospitals, and specialized research institutions.

Recently, obesity has been identified as a major risk factor for various chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which has heightened the importance of developing treatments that minimize side effects and reduce the burden of medication.

Bio Industry Division Director Choi Haejong of the Gyeonggi Province Economic Science Promotion Agency stated, "The bio-health industry is a core sector that will drive Korea's future growth. Based on our bio R&D capabilities and infrastructure, we will actively contribute to the development of next-generation anti-obesity drugs, and we are committed to ensuring that these research results lead to technology commercialization and enhanced industrial competitiveness."

Chief research supervisor Professor Choi Hyeongjin of Seoul National University commented, "We expect this project to provide opportunities for young physician-scientists and researchers to develop translational and practical research skills and gain international collaborative experience, ultimately growing into key talent to drive future convergence in biomedical research."

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