"New Drug Development: Fast, Safe, and Precise with Advanced Technology"

Ministry of Science and ICT Discusses Support Policies for AI, Large Equipment, and Organoid-Based New Drug Development

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Efforts by industry, academia, and research institutes to develop next-generation innovative new drugs are being strengthened, utilizing large-scale equipment such as artificial intelligence (AI) and synchrotron radiation accelerators, as well as organoids, rather than simple research conducted in conventional laboratories.

On the 3rd, the Ministry of Science and ICT held a 'Next-Generation Innovative New Drug Development Expert Roundtable' chaired by First Vice Minister Yong Hong-taek to discuss these measures. At this meeting, the current status of advanced technologies such as AI, large-scale equipment including cryo-electron microscopy and synchrotron radiation accelerators, and organoids in Korea was reviewed, and support plans for industry, academia, and research institutes utilizing these technologies for new drug development were discussed.

Currently, the government is promoting the 'AI New Drug Development Platform Construction Project' with a total budget of 25.8 billion KRW to significantly reduce the time and cost involved in new drug development by utilizing AI. In this regard, a UK startup has completed the new drug development process, which typically takes an average of 4.5 years up to the pre-animal testing stage, in just one year using AI.

Additionally, the 'Accelerator-Based New Drug Development Support Project' is being promoted with a budget of 45.8 billion KRW until 2023, mobilizing large-scale equipment such as cryo-electron microscopy for next-generation sequencing and protein structure determination. Organoids are cell aggregates similar to organs, created by isolating cells from stem cells and recombining them using 3D culture methods, and are used to test the toxicity of new drugs. In the long term, they may be used as artificial organs for human transplantation. Currently, the Ministry of Science and ICT is conducting a research and development project with a total budget of 47.9 billion KRW until 2023 to establish a 3D bio-tissue chip-based new drug development platform.

Vice Minister Yong said, "We are increasingly moving away from traditional new drug development and transitioning to a method that innovates the drug development process and enhances efficiency by utilizing advanced technologies as core tools. Going forward, we will establish a system to secure innovative new drug base technologies, support challenging research, and continuously discover promising technologies."

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