< President & CEO Kwan Sun Lee of Hanmi Pharmaceutical and Ajou University President Dong Yeon Kim (from left in the above picture) pose for a picture after signing the agreement. >

Ajou University and Hanmi Pharmaceutical signed an agreement on December 5th in Yulgok Hall to transfer a glioblastoma cancer therapy that utilizes stem cells and was developed by the University team led by Professor Hae Young Suh Kim (School of Medicine).
 

The therapy is made by inserting cytosine deaminase (CD) into mesenchymal stem cells collected from the marrow of healthy people. CD turns '5-FC,' an enzyme that does not exist in the human body but is used as an anti-fungal drug, into '5-FU,' which is an anti-cancer drug with extensive coverage. Animal experiments on the drug are currently being conducted and clinical trials on glioblastoma patients are set to begin next year. After that, experiments will be expanded into other cancers including brain tumors.

The stem cell therapy developed by Professor Suh has received support through the Health and Medical R&D Project and the Advanced Medical Technology Development Project carried out by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. It was also selected in the Patent-linked Consulting Support Project by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute and the Consultant Support for High-tech Bio Medicine R&D Project carried out by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.  .

Research for developing new drugs, in which the team led by Professor Suh, Hanmi Pharmaceutical, and another team of Professor Sung Soo Kim (School of Medicine) will participate, will receive assistance for the next three years after being chosen for the project to develop essential technologies for the bio medical equipment industry carried out by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Ajou University held a sign-board hanging ceremony on the same day for the Industry-Academia Cooperation Center, which was launched in the College of Pharmacy building to provide effective support for developing new drugs.

President Dong Yeon Kim said, "Ajou University is being recognized in external evaluations for its recent achievements in industry-academia cooperation and research activities, etc.," adding, "I am pleased that we can work together with Hanmi Pharmaceutical for technological transfer and research and development, and we will provide every possible support for the project to produce excellent results."

The agreement signing ceremony was attended by President Kim, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs Hee Sug Ryu, and Executive Vice President for Industry-Academia Cooperation Kyung Hee Choi from the University, and President & CEO Kwan Sun Lee, Vice President Ji Woong Son, and other officials from Hanmi Pharmaceutical.