[BioUSA] Langer: "Korea's Attempt at a Biocluster is Positive... Flexible Regulation Needed"

"Platform Technology Is Essential for Startup Success"

High Praise for Korean Capabilities
"All Korean Students Were Excellent"

"I had a direct conversation with President Yoon Suk-yeol about the Korean government's promotion of the bio cluster, and I view it very positively. It is necessary to provide incentives for creating products that can change the world."

At the 'Korea Biotech Partnership (KBTP 2023)' held on the 7th (local time) in Boston, USA, hosted by the Korea Bio Association and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), Professor Robert Langer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is speaking.
[Photo by Lee Chunhee]

Robert Langer, co-founder of Moderna and a world-renowned scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), recently evaluated the domestic bio cluster establishment initiative announced by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in this way. Professor Langer also highly praised Korea's capabilities, noting that Korea already possesses excellent talent.

Professor Langer is a global expert who has researched innovative drug delivery systems (DDS), including messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology, which is credited as a driving force behind the rapid development of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moderna, co-founded in 2010 by Professor Langer along with Noubar Afeyan, Chairman of Flagship Pioneering, has rapidly grown into a global top 20 big pharma company based on mRNA technology.

At the 'Korea Biotech Partnership (KBTP 2023)' held on the 7th (local time) in Boston, USA, where the Bio International Convention (BIO USA) is taking place, hosted by the Korea Bio Association and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), Professor Langer spoke in a dialogue with Kim Yong-tae, CEO of Mebsgen, citing 'good technology' as the key to Moderna's success.

He said, "The first condition of an ideal startup is 'platform technology,'" adding, "It is like 'plug & play' in that the same technology can be repeatedly used even when different drugs are applied to different diseases." He also emphasized that other successful companies such as Genentech and Alnylam all possess platform technology. In addition, he cited good intellectual property and excellent human resources as essential requirements for a good startup.

He also stressed regional expansion as necessary to extend such success on a global scale. Professor Langer said, "For a successful global business, it is necessary to partner with multiple countries and establish branches," adding, "Moderna is also pushing to establish factories in several countries to produce vaccines."

President Yoon Suk-yeol (right), who made a state visit to the United States last April, is speaking during a dialogue with MIT digital bio scholars held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston. Professor Robert Langer of MIT (center) also attended the meeting. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the global bio cluster establishment promoted by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, Professor Langer said, "I talked about this a few weeks ago," and evaluated it as "a very positive development," repeatedly emphasizing that the government must play a positive role in industrial development. He cited the patent system as a representative example. He said, "President Abraham Lincoln cited three of the most important things in history as the invention of the printing press, the founding of the United States, and the patent system," stressing, "It is important to have a good patent system."

Regarding the characteristics of the regulated pharmaceutical and bio industries, he said, "Safety is important," but also stated, "Incentives such as tax benefits should be provided to create products that can change the world." He mentioned the importance of flexible regulation, saying, "In Moderna's case, many people died from COVID-19, so the government relaxed regulations," adding, "If not, many more people would have died."

He also highly praised Korea's scientific capabilities. On that day, Professor Langer, who conducted the dialogue with Kim Yong-tae, CEO of Mebsgen, and Lee Hyuk-jin, a professor at Ewha Womans University College of Pharmacy and one of Korea's top mRNA experts, has trained many Korean-born disciples. He said, "I met 10 to 15 Korean postdoctoral researchers and graduate students, and they were all excellent," adding, "They all went to good places, and some biotech companies they directly founded are leading the cutting edge of technology."