Im Seong-gi Foundation Provides 1.2 Billion KRW Over 3 Years to Two Rare Disease Researchers

At the rare and intractable disease research support agreement ceremony held at Hanmi Pharm headquarters in Songpa-gu, Seoul, Lee Gwan-soon, Chairman of the Im Seong-gi Foundation (center), Professor Lee Jae-cheol of Sungkyunkwan University (right), and Researcher Lee In-gyun of KIST are posing for a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Hanmi Pharm]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The Im Seong-gi Foundation, established to inherit the new drug development philosophy and legacy of the late Im Seong-gi, founder of Hanmi Pharmaceutical Group, has selected Professor Lee Jae-cheol of Sungkyunkwan University College of Pharmacy and Researcher Lee In-gyun of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Chemical Convergence Life Research Center as the final recipients of the '2022 Rare and Intractable Disease Research Support Project.'

On the 28th, the Im Seong-gi Foundation announced that it recently held a research support agreement ceremony inviting the two researchers and key figures, providing a total of 1.2 billion KRW in research funding. Each selected researcher will receive 200 million KRW annually for three years.

Professor Lee proposed research combining induced pluripotent stem cells and human organoids to create precise disease models of pediatric chromosomal abnormalities and exploring therapeutic possibilities using gene editing technology. He stated, "I will devote myself to the research to faithfully carry on the philosophy and purpose of the Im Seong-gi Foundation, which initiated the rare disease research support project. If this research can secure new human-mimicking disease models for pediatric chromosomal rare diseases, it will greatly aid in developing innovative treatments in this field in the future."

Researcher Lee was selected for proposing a study to discover new therapeutic candidate substances that can inhibit the interaction between the major causative genes 'DYNC1H1' and 'BICD2' of spinal muscular atrophy with lower extremity predominance (SMA-LED), an ultra-rare disease. He said, "I am confident that this research will significantly contribute to securing foundational technologies necessary for treating SMA-LED and intractable neuromuscular diseases, for which there are currently no treatments, and to discovering initial effective substances."

The Im Seong-gi Foundation conducts an annual 400 million KRW support project for rare and intractable disease research, where medical unmet needs are high and research is essential, but drug development has not been properly conducted due to the extremely small number of patients.

Chairman Lee Gwan-soon of the foundation said, "The field of rare disease treatment can only develop by overcoming obstacles based on the economic logic of 'time and cost' and by establishing stable and sustainable support from basic research onward. I hope that the vision of 'respect for humanity' and 'new drug development,' which the late Chairman Im Seong-gi cherished as his lifelong wish, will be further realized through this research support project."