Institut Pasteur Korea and Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop new therapeutics to combat infectious diseases.
 
The two organizations aim to strengthen joint research activities, including discovery of small molecule inhibitors of infectious agents, development of biological assay systems, and investigation of the modes of action of small molecule inhibitors. To achieve these goals, the institutes will initiate collaborative research projects, hold joint scientific conferences, and exchange researchers. They will also combine their research technologies, such as chemical libraries, ADMET assays, and High-Throughput/High-Content Screening to accelerate drug discovery research.
 
One outcome of the Memorandum of Understanding was the Collaborative Symposium held to introduce both institutes and encourage scientists to share their latest research findings. Speakers from Institut Pasteur Korea gave presentations on discovery biology of Institut Pasteur Korea, the Tuberculosis program, and automation solutions for High-Content Screening. Speakers from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology presented talks on the Korea Chemical Bank, the Virus Research and Testing Center, and drug discovery platform.
 
Dr. Hakim Djaballah, CEO of Institut Pasteur Korea, said, “We are thrilled to build a synergetic partnership with Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology which will help accelerate the development of new therapeutics using both institutions’ research assets.”
 
Dr. Kewho Lee, President of Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, added, “We expect that the institutes can share each asset such as R&D infrastructures and techniques, and complement each other to achieve the acceleration of drug discovery.”