by Jang Hyowon
Published 23 Jan.2024 09:52(KST)
Korigroup's human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) product is approaching commercialization.
Korigroup, an affiliate of Hanmi Pharmaceutical Group (established by Hanmi Pharmaceutical President Lim Jong-yoon), recently announced on the 23rd that it has developed a human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) capable of replacing the functions of HMO without artificial elements at the Korii Italy AAT Microbiome Research Institute (AAT Institute) and is preparing for commercialization. Korigroup will conduct research and development, while DXVX will handle production and global market sales.
This research is one of the projects jointly developed by Korigroup and the Korii Italy AAT Institute at the 'Bio Bank,' which was co-established in 2018 with the Gemelli Hospital of the Catholic University of Rome, Italy, for the ‘Symbiotics Food and Drug System’ study.
Human breast milk contains abundant immune-related components such as human milk oligosaccharides (HMO), proteins, and lipids, making it known as the first functional food a person encounters in their lifetime. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), breastfeeding is very important within the first six months after birth, and appropriate complementary feeding is recommended to continue until the age of two.
Dr. Han Sung-joon, CTO of DXVX, stated, “Although technological advancements have been made to develop artificial HMO products using genetic modification techniques by some multinational companies, there are several issues such as ▲high production costs ▲low yield ▲limited scale-up of production facilities ▲biological rejection due to artificial manufacturing processes ▲safety concerns from new by-products, which necessitate alternatives.” He added, “Korigroup’s development of an HMO substitute excluding artificial elements is expected not only to supply essential products for infant health and mothers but also to align with the social goal of promoting infant health in an era of low birth rates.” Furthermore, he said, “It is expected to play a sufficient foundational role in surpassing Abbott, which Korigroup regards as a role model.”
A DXVX representative said, “The market size for human milk oligosaccharide products was approximately 280 billion KRW in 2022 and is projected to grow to about 1.5 trillion KRW by 2030.” They added, “By securing distribution rights for the global market including China, DXVX plans to expand its lineup centered on infant formula and its own brand bio-healthcare products in the Chinese market, which is valued at 171.7 billion yuan (approximately 31 trillion KRW), starting in 2025, thereby enhancing product competitiveness and profitability through raw material supply and sales in a market worth about 500 billion KRW.” Meanwhile, the European market is expected to have a direct sales network established by Korii Italy’s local subsidiary.
Meanwhile, numerous studies on breast milk have shown that it tends to reduce the risk of various diseases. These effects are attributed to special components, particularly immune responses such as defense against bacterial infections, suppression of harmful bacteria growth, and activation of beneficial gut microbiota, which promote digestive health. Among these, secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in breast milk and human milk oligosaccharides (HMO), one of the essential bioactive substances, are known to play important roles in these mechanisms.
While the function of breast milk SIgA can later be replaced by intestinal SIgA, HMO presents the problem of having no supply method other than human breast milk. HMO is a unique bioactive carbohydrate identified as the most important component of breast milk. Due to its structural complexity and multifunctional characteristics, it is the most crucial component of breast milk, but there are practical limitations in extracting it from breast milk. Moreover, it is distinguished from oligosaccharides of other animals, prompting many scientists and companies to make various efforts to mimic it.
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