News & Events
News & Events
Institut Pasteur Korea Launches Distribution of Infectious Diseases Pathogens and Specimens
2024-09-04
Institut Pasteur Korea Launches Distribution of
Infectious Diseases Pathogens and Specimens
Infectious Diseases Pathogens and Specimens
(Aug 9, 2024, Gyeonggi-do, Rep. of Korea) On August 26, Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK) launched the distribution of infectious disease pathogens and positive specimens as part of its efforts to prepare for and respond to (re)emerging infectious diseases, as well as to stimulate the bio-industry.
Last year, IPK’s Global Infectious Disease Specimen Bank (GISB) became the first non-medical institution in Korea to be licensed as both a human materials biobank and a pathogen resource bank. This designation enabled IPK to legally secure and distribute specimens from infectious disease patients both domestically and internationally. It was aimed at enhancing the rapid response to new infectious disease variants in the post-COVID-19 era. Additionally, the license allows IPK to handle various overseas-transmitted pathogens and their variants.
GISB is currently distributing 133 resources (consisting of 17 different pathogen strains), including the MPOX virus. Additionally, it is providing 21 human specimens, including blood samples from patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS). Furthermore, IPK’s Novel and Variant Pathogens Resource Bank (NVPRB) will produce and distribute inactivated pathogen resources, customized to meet the specific demands of researchers and companies that lack biosafety research facilities, such as biosafety level 2 and 3 (BL-2, and BL-3) laboratories.
Companies and researchers seeking access to these infectious disease resources can register and apply for distribution through the IPK’S Virus Research Resource Center website. Application documents must be submitted through the distribution desk page.
The fees for resources vary depending on the institution requesting the distribution.
Users can benefit from IPK’s Virus Research Resource Center, which provides open innovation services by utilizing high-level research facilities, such as BL-2, BL-3, and ABL-3. These facilities offer an integrated, one-stop solution for cultivating and researching high-risk pathogens, helping users save both costs and time.
IPK CEO, Dr. Sung Key Jang said, “Through the launch of distribution initiative, we aim to support the development of diagnostic agents, vaccines, and treatments for infectious diseases, thereby contributing to the growth of domestic bio-industry.”