Gov allocates KRW1.47 trillion budget for healthcare R&D

for new drugs, etc.

An amount from MOHW, MSIT, MOTIE, MFDS, KDCA combined

Accounts for 5% of all the government’s total R&D budget...allocated KRW 839 billion in promising advanced technologies

The government’s budget for next year’s healthcare R&D including new drugs, medical devices, and digital transformation to AI-based biohealth is estimated to be around KRW 1.47 trillion.

 

This is the total amount of budget that will be supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, an amount similar to this year and 5% of the government’s total R&D budget.

 

According to the MOHW on the 29th, the government plans to support KRW 149.5 billion in new tasks and KRW 1.32 trillion on ongoing tasks, for a total of 128 projects around 4 major areas including ▲reinforcing the ability to respond to infectious diseases, ▲fostering promising advanced technologies in biohealth, ▲increasing R&D investment for public interest including overcoming diseases, etc., and ▲support for R&D linked to the medical field.

 

◆Reinforcing ability to respond to infectious diseases = The government will be supporting KRW 274 billion for 26 select projects next year to strengthen Korea’s capacity in responding to infectious disease crises.

 

The authorities plan to establish health security by supporting R&D to secure main technology capabilities for vaccines and treatments that can protect public lives and health from future infectious diseases.

 

By ministry, the MOHW will be investing KRW 3.75 billion in developing antiviral treatments in preparation for RNA virus infections (Disease X), and MSIT has allocated KRW 13.3 billion for the Bio & Medical Technology Development Program and the establishment of the National Preclinical Trial Support System.

 

The government also allocated a budget to advance the disease control and prevention system.

 

Based on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the government plans to establish a safe society from new infectious diseases by promoting research on the whole disease control and prevention, etc to advance Korea’s disease control and prevention system.

 

The MOHW allocated KRW 1.6 billion, KDCA KRW 1.3 billion, and MOTIE KRW 0.7 billion for the project to advance the pan-ministerial infectious disease control and prevention system.

 

◆Fostering promising advanced technologies= The government plans to support a total of KRW 839 billion in 66 projects to foster promising advanced technologies.

 

First, the government will be improving the quality of healthcare by developing data and AI-based technology and prompting the digital transformation of biohealth, and providing personalized healthcare.

 

In terms of new projects that will be initiated by each ministry, MOHW will be investing KRW 6.25 billion in R&D for technology to utilize healthcare MyData and its demonstration project.

 

Also, the MOHW allocated KRW 7.5 billion to the project for developing healthcare technology based on virtual patients and hospitals, and KRW 7.5 billion for the demonstration and introduction of medical institution-based digital healthcare.

 

The authorities will also be investing in the discovery of promising next-generation areas.

 

It plans to continue the search for future drivers of biohealth by supporting R&D in unexplored areas such as microbiome, and in areas that can enhance industry competitiveness by improving the self-sufficiency of core technologies such as advanced medical devices.

 

In terms of new projects that will be initiated by each ministry, the MOHW and KDCA allocated KRW 3.8 billion and KRW 1.3 billion each for the hospital-based human microbiome R&D project.

 

The MFDS has also newly allocated KRW 7.4 billion to support regulatory science for pan-ministerial medical device regulations, and the MOTIE allocated KRW 2.1 billion for the development of interventional medical device technology based on advanced manufacturing technology.

 

The projects also include R&D in regenerative medicine.

 

The government plans to support research to establish a basis for the commercialization of regenerative medicine, such as xenotransplantation R&D projects, to ultimately become a global leader in advanced regenerative medicine technology by securing core and basic source technologies.

 

In terms of new projects that will be initiated by each ministry, the MOHW will invest KRW 6 billion in xenotransplantation R&D projects, the MOTIE will invest KRW 4.5 billion in bio, medical technology development, and stem cell ATLA-based treatment technology for incurable diseases.

 

◆Strengthening R&D investment for public interest = The government will also allocate KRW 275.2 billion in 28 select projects to invest in R&D for public interest such as overcoming diseases.

 

First, the government plans to ease the socioeconomic burden by focusing on the development of healthcare technologies to overcome diseases that bring high burden to the public such as brain diseases, mental health, and cancer.

 

In terms of new projects that will be initiated by each ministry, the MOHW allocated KRW 4.95 billion in the development of technologies to address issues in the clinical field for diseases related to brain and nervous diseases, KRW 9.63 billion in an R&D project and its demonstration for the development of evidence-based personalized healthcare for cancer survivors, and KRW 0.5 billion for the development of technology for metaverse-based mental health management in the National Center for Mental Health.

 

The government plans to preemptively conduct R&D in healthcare technologies where public demand is expected to surge in line with social changes including aging and the low birth rate, that will contribute to resolving social issues and enhancing the real sense of R&D in public health.

 

For this, the MOHW will support KRW 3.9 billion in R&D of consumer-focused care robots and their service demonstration.

 

◆ support for R&D linked to the medical field= The government plans to support KRW 80.9 billion in R&D after selecting 8 projects linked with the medical field.

 

First, it plans to reinforce Korea’s global competitiveness by fostering professional manpower that can drive innovation in biohealth, such as expanding research support for new physician-scientists and continuing training for regulatory science experts.

 

For this, MOHW has allocated KRW 4.05 billion for the global research cooperation support project.

 

Seong-ho Eun of the Bureau of Advanced Health Technology Policy MOHW said, “The government will continue to promote relevant policies and continue increasing R&D investments so that the healthcare R&D provided by the government serves as a basis for better quality healthcare services.

 

We will also further activate the Health and Medical Technology Policy Deliberation Committee so that related ministries and the private sector for more organic cooperation and communication.”