INTERVIEW Life sciences company bBHC bets on regenerative medicine through Energy Water, novel stem cell platform
Founder Lee Kye-ho shares decades-long vision for biotechnology, longevity and personalized regenerative care
A photo of bBHC’s research and production lab / Courtesy of bBHC
Life sciences company bBHC is seeking to position itself at the forefront of regenerative medicine through two technologies developed over decades by its founder and Chairman Lee Kye-ho: Energy Water, a proprietary structured water platform, and KHCs, a novel pluripotent stem cell technology.
bBHC Chairman Lee Kye‑ho / Courtesy of bBHC
Founded in 1989 as a life sciences research company, bBHC has spent more than four decades developing technologies that Lee believes could contribute to both environmental sustainability and next-generation human healthcare.
“At the center of our work is the idea that life itself can be influenced by the structure and behavior of water,” Lee said during an interview with The Korea Times at the company’s headquarters in Seoul.
According to the company, Energy Water is a next-generation water platform developed through proprietary molecular structure control technology designed to enhance stability and functionality.
The company says studies in livestock and agricultural systems have demonstrated the potential to improve productivity and growth efficiency. The technology is currently being commercialized across agriculture, cosmetics and food-related products, with overseas markets accounting for a growing share of revenue.
It believes the technology could further expand the applications of structured water across a wide range of industries, including agriculture, food and cosmetics.
To improve accessibility and support future growth, the company is also working to reduce production costs and improve dilution efficiency for future formulations.
The second pillar of the company’s strategy is KHC, a pluripotent stem cell platform developed from mesenchymal stem cells without genetic modification.
The company’s researchers in training / Courtesy of bBHC
Lee described KHC as a next-generation regenerative platform designed to overcome limitations associated with conventional pluripotent stem cell technologies, particularly concerns surrounding tumorigenicity and safety. To further evaluate safety, the company recently completed a 52-week GLP-compliant tumorigenicity study through an independent GLP-certified research institution. According to bBHC, the study was designed to assess the long-term tumorigenic potential of KHC-derived cells and will support future regulatory and clinical development activities.
He explained that traditional stem cell science has largely relied on viral gene insertion methods as the standard approach for increasing cellular plasticity. In contrast, KHCs were developed using proprietary natural compound-based technologies without genetic manipulation, enabling the creation of highly plastic yet non-tumorigenic cells capable of differentiating into all human tissues and organs.
Because KHCs possess the ability to differentiate into endodermal, mesodermal and ectodermal lineages, Lee believes the platform could represent a new paradigm in regenerative medicine and potentially reshape the future framework of the biopharmaceutical industry.
A photo of bBHC’s proprietary stem cell, KHC / Courtesy of bBHC
As previously demonstrated by the company, bBHC says the platform has shown differentiation potential into all three germ layers, including pancreatic beta cells, hepatocytes, neural cells, kidney cells, hematopoietic cells, adipocytes, chondrocytes and osteoblasts. Lee also said the technology has demonstrated the potential to generate organoid-like tissue structures.
The company ultimately envisions a personalized regenerative medicine platform in which a patient’s own cells can be converted into KHC-derived therapeutic cells and transplanted back into the body.
To support development of the platform, bBHC conducted nearly a decade of collaborative research and efficacy-related studies with researchers affiliated with Seoul National University Hospital.
The company also said it has built an extensive intellectual property portfolio around the technology. According to bBHC, the company has filed more than 2,000 patents globally, all of which are international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications covering 158 countries.
A photo of bBHC’s analysis lab / Courtesy of bBHC
The life sciences company is currently pursuing regulatory approval and clinical pathways in both Korea and the United States, with future applications being prepared for rare diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer and age-related conditions.
Beyond disease-focused applications, a key element of Lee's long-term vision is what he describes as "down-aging" — not simply slowing aging, but restoring biological function at a more fundamental level.
“We want to move beyond symptom management and explore how regenerative medicine can meaningfully improve quality of life,” Lee said. “Our long-term vision is to help people remain healthier, longer.”
While many aspects of the company’s technologies will require continued clinical validation and scientific review, bBHC believes its platforms may open new possibilities in regenerative medicine, longevity science and personalized healthcare.
For Lee, the work represents the culmination of decades of research aimed at advancing the future of human health through biology and regenerative medicine.
Whether these technologies can translate into practical solutions for disease treatment and healthy aging, and how soon they may become part of everyday healthcare, will be closely watched in the years ahead.