Companies Developing Alzheimer's Treatments
Visit to the Nobel Prize-Producing Salk Institute
Gyeongbuk Province visited San Diego, United States, on October 2, 2025, to gain insights into global technology trends in the field of advanced regenerative medicine and to explore opportunities for collaboration.
Recently, Gyeongbuk Province has been accelerating the establishment of a foundation for the advanced regenerative medicine ecosystem. This includes enacting the "Ordinance on the Promotion and Support of the Advanced Regenerative Medicine Industry" and signing a business agreement with the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM).
Employees of Gyeongbuk Province and executives of the Korean company Aribio, which has entered the U.S. market, are gathered together for a commemorative photo.
Led by Deputy Governor for Economic Affairs Yang Geumhee, the delegation visited the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, a world-renowned biological research institution, with the aim of global networking in the field of advanced regenerative medicine.
The Salk Institute is a prestigious research center founded by Dr. Jonas Salk, who developed the polio vaccine. Since its establishment, it has produced six Nobel Prize laureates and fourteen members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in the United States.
Together with Lee Narae, president of the San Diego chapter of the Korean American Society in Biotech and Pharmaceuticals (KASBP-SD), the delegation met with Dr. Kim Hyunjin, a prominent researcher in neuroscience. They toured the Salk Institute's neuroscience research facilities and discussed the latest trends in advanced regenerative medicine technologies and research on treatments for brain diseases.
Dr. Kim Hyunjin stated, "The Salk Institute is focusing its research on the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease, which is a type of neurodegenerative disorder related to the brain."
In response, Deputy Governor Yang Geumhee said, "I hope this visit will serve as an opportunity to share academic information and promote human exchanges with Korean scientists based in San Diego."
In the afternoon, the delegation held a meeting with Aribio, a Korean company operating in the San Diego area. Aribio specializes in brain disease research and is developing AR1001, a treatment for Alzheimer's disease. The company plans to apply for new drug approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the first half of next year.
Kim Sunho, the president of Aribio, said, "We recently received an advance payment of $6 million from China's Fuxing Pharmaceutical for exclusive sales rights in the Greater China region. We aim to develop treatments for intractable diseases and reduce costs by establishing a new drug development platform that incorporates artificial intelligence (AI), in line with global trends."
Deputy Governor Yang Geumhee stated, "I sincerely congratulate you on achieving global results in the field of Alzheimer's disease treatment despite difficult circumstances. Gyeongbuk Province will also prepare various policies and support measures for bio companies."
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