No Side Effects, Increased Effectiveness... Gallstone Dissolving Agent to Be Marketed Soon

KRICT Develops Excellent Gallstone-Dissolving Compound and Transfers Technology to Private Companies

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] A gallstone dissolving agent that has far fewer side effects than existing drugs but is more effective is expected to be commercialized and released soon. It is notable because it can remove gallstones while leaving the gallbladder intact, offering hope to the approximately 200,000 gallstone patients annually to relieve their pain without surgery.

The Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology announced on the 29th that it has developed a gallstone dissolving compound with fewer side effects and superior efficacy in collaboration with the Catholic University College of Medicine and has transferred the technology to SurgeNex Co., Ltd. The two institutions will hold a technology transfer agreement ceremony that afternoon.

Previously, the research teams led by Jung Kwan-ryeong from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology and Kim Se-jun from the Catholic University College of Medicine jointly developed a dissolving agent in 2019 that has 1.7 times higher efficacy and fewer side effects than the existing gallstone dissolving agent (Methyl tertiary-butyl ether, MTBE), publishing their findings in the Journal of Translational Medicine. Since then, the teams have developed a compound with improved efficacy as a follow-up study and promised technology transfer on this day. They have also secured domestic and international rights through domestic patent registration, PCT, and U.S. international patent applications.

Gallstone disease is a condition where part of the bile, a digestive fluid stored in the gallbladder, hardens. It often occurs due to a high cholesterol ratio in bile caused by high-fat food intake and lack of exercise. In Western countries, 10-20% of the adult population is estimated to have gallstones, while in Korea, the estimate is 5-10%. The proportion of gallstone patients in Korea is gradually increasing, and according to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, 210,000 people visited hospitals for gallstones in 2019. About 80% of gallstone patients have no symptoms, but as gallstones grow over time, they often cause sudden severe inflammation and pain. To prevent this, gallstone size must be monitored or gallstone treatment must be received.

Until now, most gallstone treatments required surgery to remove the gallbladder. Although removing the gallbladder does not threaten life, frequent diarrhea and abdominal pain can reduce quality of life. The research team has developed a new compound that can selectively and cleanly dissolve gallstones without removing the gallbladder.

Gallstone dissolving agents have existed before, but they were not widely used due to side effects such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, increased blood cholesterol, and elevated liver enzyme levels. The compound developed by the research team showed fewer side effects and excellent gallstone dissolving effects in hamster experiments. It can also dissolve cholesterol polyps, broadening its range of applications.

The research team plans to continue joint research with the Catholic Central Surgical Research Institute and SurgeNex Co., Ltd. aiming for the commercialization of the gallstone dissolving agent.

Im Hye-mi, president of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, said, “The number of gallstone patients in Korea is increasing every year,” adding, “The drug developed this time can preserve gallbladder function while removing only gallstones, so it is expected to improve the quality of life for gallstone patients.”

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