Jeonbuk Province Recruiting Companies and Institutions for "Veterinary Pharmaceuticals Candidate Free Zone" Participation

Applications Accepted Until December 12

Jeonbuk Province is recruiting companies and institutions to participate in pilot projects following its selection as a candidate area for the "Next-Generation Veterinary Pharmaceuticals Regulatory Free Zone" until December 12.

According to the province on November 24, this recruitment marks the first step in preparing for the designation of the special zone. Its purpose is to discover companies that will help advance Jeonbuk’s veterinary pharmaceutical industry with a focus on new technologies.

Jeonbuk Provincial Government Building. Provided by Jeonbuk Province

In the candidate zone, three pilot projects will be implemented: ▲ validation of new drug development guidelines, ▲ expansion of the range of autogenous vaccine items, and ▲ validation of the appropriateness of exempting certain test items for veterinary pharmaceuticals.

The first pilot project involves establishing new drug development guidelines. This will create new efficacy and safety evaluation standards for next-generation veterinary pharmaceuticals such as biological products, gene-recombinant drugs, cell-cultured pharmaceuticals, and antibody therapeutics, proactively establishing a regulatory approval framework that has previously been lacking.

The second pilot project focuses on expanding the range of autogenous vaccine items. Currently limited to three items, autogenous vaccines will be expanded to cover major highly-mutative swine diseases. This will establish a customized vaccine manufacturing and usage system based on veterinary prescriptions and farm-specific strain analysis.

The third project is to validate the appropriateness of exempting certain test items. By comparing and verifying data derived from repeated-dose toxicity tests, the project aims to confirm the possibility of partially replacing local toxicity and skin sensitization tests. This is expected to lead to regulatory improvements, particularly in areas such as injectable and topical products for companion animals, where market expansion is anticipated.

Eligible applicants are companies and institutions with business sites in Korea that can establish or relocate branches, offices, or factories within the special zone in the future. In particular, veterinary pharmaceutical companies at TRL (Technology Readiness Level) 5 or above, as well as related research and development companies and institutions, are encouraged to participate.

The province plans to establish regulatory exemption measures and detailed plans for each pilot project within this year to prepare for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ review next year. If the area is officially designated as a special zone in May next year, regulatory exemption-based pilot projects will be fully implemented for four years starting in 2027.

Details on the announcement and application process can be found on the Jeonbuk Province website and the Jeonbuk Technopark website. Inquiries should be directed to Jeonbuk Technopark.

Min Sunshik, Director of the Agricultural Life and Livestock Industry Bureau of Jeonbuk Province, stated, "The Next-Generation Veterinary Pharmaceuticals Regulatory Free Zone is a core project that will elevate the foundation of Jeonbuk’s veterinary pharmaceutical industry to the next level. We look forward to the active participation of veterinary pharmaceutical companies that will lead new drug development and technological innovation."