Sookmyung to transfer technology to local firm
.jpg?w=728)
Yoon Suk-joon, right, professor of biological science at Sookmyung Women’s University, poses with Qurient Chairman and CEO Nam Ki-yean after signing a technology transfer contract on the school’s campus in Seoul, Sept. 25. / Courtesy of Sookmyung Women’s University
By Chung Hyun-chae
Sookmyung Women’s University signed a technology transfer contract worth 300 million won ($257,000) with Qurient, a medicine research and development company, a school spokesman said Tuesday.
He said the technology is useful in creating new anticancer drugs by analyzing biometric big data. He also said the contract will help Sookmyung expand academic-industrial cooperation.
Funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, Yoon Suk-joon, a professor of biological science at the university, has worked to develop the technology since 2011.
“Cancer begins when a mutation occurs in some genes of a cell. Through this technology, we can observe whether a certain drug is effective in finding those kinds of genes and fighting them,” Yoon said.
When Yoon’s team attended the 13th InterBiz Bio Partnering & Investment Forum 2015 on Jeju Island from July 1 to 3, they showcased the technology to representatives from about 20 local pharmaceuticals companies.
As a result of active promotion, the team managed to sign the contract with Qurient.
“Our goal is to develop patient-tailored anticancer drugs by using Yoon’s technology,” Nam Ki-yean, chairman and CEO of Qurient, said. “We will use this technology to generate valid and widely applicable results.”
Prof. Yoon said that utilizing such technology could speed up the process of developing patient-tailored anticancer drugs.
“We will keep seeking opportunities to work with domestic and overseas drug development companies while enhancing our global competitiveness,” Yoon added.