I don't know if there's a dementia pill I can take instead of a shot.500 billion won technology export contract

The number of dementia patients is steadily increasing...Development of Dementia Treatment Active
Amyloid beta-targeted treatment in the brain, concerns about side effects ↑
KIST Start-up Company and Italian Pharmaceutical Company Technology Export Agreement
Candidate CV-01 Cures Alzheimer's Disease by Suppressing Brain Inflammation

[Anchor]
A candidate substance for a dementia treatment developed by domestic researchers is exported technology to overseas pharmaceutical companies.

It is the largest government-funded research institute start-up company ever worth 500 billion won, and it is expected to open a new chapter in dementia treatment if it is commercialized because it is a simpler way to eat than conventional injection treatment.

This is reporter Park Na-yeon.

[Reporter]
Currently, 1 in 10 elderly people aged 65 in Korea suffer from dementia.

The number of dementia patients is steadily increasing, and it is estimated that the number will increase to 3 million by 2050.

Research on dementia treatments is active worldwide, and there are currently two officially approved dementia treatments in the United States, an injection form that targets amyloid beta in the brain.

However, since each patient has various symptoms, only 30% of patients listen to the treatment, and there is a high risk of side effects.

Now, it is expected that dementia treatments will be developed that are less side effects and toxic, and take medicine rather than injections.

This is because CV-O1, a dementia treatment candidate developed by a KIST start-up company, has been technology exported to Italian pharmaceutical companies.

CV-01 is a principle that regulates brain inflammation by activating the Nrf2 protein that maintains cell homeostasis, and it easily penetrates into organs that do not accept drugs well, such as the brain, and is effective.

[Park Ki-duk / Dr. Kim of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology: While existing drugs only show and disappear for 12 hours, (the drug we developed this time) continues to show efficacy for up to 48 hours and has far superior efficacy.]

This technology export contract totaled $370 million and KRW 503.7 billion in Korean money, and it is a method of receiving a technical fee every time it passes the clinical stage along with the down payment.

This is the largest technology export case ever by government-funded research institutes, and is also an exemplary case in which the government and the donation association supported technology commercialization throughout the entire cycle of new drug development.

The deal secured the development and copyright of CV-01 in global markets excluding South Korea and China.

[Cho Seong-jin / CEO of Curebus Co., Ltd.: Ultimately, we will continue to achieve important milestones such as winning orders for national projects, attracting investments, completing clinical trials, approving IND (application for approval of clinical trial plan), and exporting global technology, etc., dreaming of becoming a trillions of new drug development unicorn company.]

The researchers predict that CV-01 can also be used to prevent dementia, lowering social costs caused by aging.

He explained that it can be commercialized as early as five years, and that it can be applied not only to dementia but also to various brain and nervous system diseases such as Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.

I'm Park Nayeon of YTN Science.

Reporter for filming
: Ko Min-cheol
Video editing: Hwang Yu-min