Paris, France & Seoul, Rep. of Korea, November 16th, 2018| Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK) signed a tri-partite memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Institut Pasteur Paris (IP), and the Institut Pasteur International Network Association (APIN) aimed at facilitating procedures for Korean biomedical researchers access to valuable biobank resources unique to the Institut Pasteur International Network. “These biological resources are biobanks comprising samples collected from infectious disease endemic areas all around the world and are important to help researchers understand and combat infectious disease” said Dr. Wang-Shick Ryu, CEO of IPK.



Infectious disease outbreak and spread represents a threat to public health in Korea and worldwide, highlighted by challenges such as the emergence of antibiotic and antimicrobial resistance; global outbreak and rapid transmission of infectious disease such as the Korean peninsula’s 2015 MERS outbreak. Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a highly fatal respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (MERS-CoV). From May to July 2015, the Republic of Korea experienced the largest ever outbreak of MERS to occur outside the Arabian Peninsula. It took 8 weeks for transmission to abate. “Having a program to facilitate international sharing of biobank resources will provide an important advantage wherein Korean researchers would be able to study such pathogens in advance, before they arrive as an epidemic public health emergency. Preparedness for such outbreaks could make all the difference to risk management, and saving lives” said Dr Ryu.

Dr. Spencer Shorte, CSO of IPK added: “Facilitating Korean researchers access to the Pasteur International Network bio-bank resources will provide an important benefit and advantage to Korea’s biomedical researchers focused on combatting infectious diseases like MERS.” “Working hand-in-hand with other key Korean research institutes we will be able to better leverage our world-leading Korean and international scientists, with cutting-edge technologies for accelerated development of new, cost-effective drug treatments and therapies to treat infectious diseases threatening public health at domestic and global scales.”


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About Institut Pasteur Korea
Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK) is an international research institute with a basic research mission for infectious disease, and drug development to the benefit of public health. The institute was established in April 2004 in collaboration with Institut Pasteur Paris and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), and is grateful for continuous support from the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), and the Gyeonggi Provincial government.

About Institut Pasteur
The Institut Pasteur is a private, non-profit foundation based in Paris, France. Its mission is to help prevent and treat diseases, mainly those of infectious origin, through research, teaching, and public health initiatives. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who made some of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine, including pasteurization and vaccines for anthrax and rabies. The institute was founded in his name on June 4, 1887, and inaugurated on November 14, 1888.

About Institut Pasteur International Network (Association)
The Institut Pasteur International Network is a community of independent research insti-tutes, united by shared Pasteurian values and missions. The first Institut Pasteur outside of France was set up by Albert Calmette in Saigon in 1891. Since then the network has grown continuously to become the largest biomedical network of its kind, today including 33 institutes in 26 countries across five continents. All members join the Network and its Association on a voluntary basis, signing the Institut Pasteur International Network Cooperation Agreement and a charter of Pasteurian values, with the support of local health authorities and/or government. The role of the Institut Pasteur International Network is to help improve public health, particularly by dealing with infectious agents, through: biomedical research, public health activities, education, innovation and technology transfer. These activities are carried out with a view to sustainable development. This is achieved by building up local capabilities while respecting hu-man rights and the environment and these values are reflected in its biobank resources collection that currently is estimated at many tens of thousands of pathogen samples around the world.