Daewoong Pharmaceutical and Ipsel Collaborate on 'Artificial Red Blood Cells' Development

Joint Research Agreement Signed
"Will Contribute to Stabilizing Red Blood Cell Supply"

Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced on the 15th that it signed a joint research and development agreement with domestic induced pluripotent stem cell research company Ipsel on the 12th to develop artificial red blood cells.

Lee Chang-jae, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical (right), and Joo Ji-hyun, CEO of Upsell, are posing for a commemorative photo at the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the development of artificial red blood cells.
[Photo by Daewoong Pharmaceutical]

Artificial red blood cells are substances that replace the function of red blood cells, which deliver oxygen to cells in the blood. The company explained that due to the recent imbalance in blood supply and demand, it is urgent to establish a national-level stable blood supply alternative through the development of artificial red blood cells and artificial platelets.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical and Ipsel plan to establish a cooperative system for the development of artificial red blood cell cell lines and processes through this agreement. The two companies will conduct joint research to secure core technology for artificial red blood cell development and to advance production technology using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). Daewoong Pharmaceutical explained that hiPSC are cells capable of differentiating into any desired body tissue or organ in the human body, and are expected to be utilized in the treatment of various severe and intractable diseases through tissue regeneration and cell therapy.

Ipsel is a biotechnology company specializing in induced pluripotent stem cell research and therapeutic development based on clinical immunology and stem cells, founded in 2017 by Professor Jihyun Joo of the Rheumatology Department at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital.

Lee Chang-jae, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, said, "We have high expectations for the joint research as a partner in artificial red blood cell development with Ipsel, which possesses excellent induced pluripotent stem cell technology," and added, "We will establish a stable artificial red blood cell supply system by utilizing the technologies derived from the research between the two companies."

Jihyun Joo, CEO of Ipsel, said, "We are pleased to collaborate with Daewoong Pharmaceutical on artificial red blood cell development to solve the nation's pressing issues," and added, "Based on Ipsel's human induced pluripotent stem cell platform technology and capabilities, we will work closely with Daewoong Pharmaceutical to contribute to stabilizing the national red blood cell supply."

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