Cosmax joins Harvard-affiliated hospital network to pursue anti-aging, metabolic research

Cosmax Group is moving beyond cosmetics into medical and biotechnology research through an expanded partnership with a Harvard-affiliated hospital network, targeting potential treatments and health products for aging, weight management and metabolic health.

The Korean cosmetics manufacturer said Tuesday it signed an agreement Oct. 13 in Boston with Mass General Brigham (MGB) to launch the second phase of their joint microbiome research, known as the VIVA project.

The partnership builds on research conducted from 2024 to 2026 that identified how a substance derived from certain microorganisms eased symptoms in an atopic dermatitis model and improved skin barrier function, according to Cosmax.

The findings were published in Allergy, an international journal covering allergy and clinical immunology, and Cosmax has filed a Korean patent application related to the microbial technology.

Under the second phase, running from 2026 through 2029, the companies plan to broaden their work beyond cosmetic ingredients to functional ingredients for health supplements and potential drug candidates.

The research will explore anti-aging approaches and materials that could influence weight and metabolic management, including probiotics and functional food ingredients that act through mechanisms similar to glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1.

Cosmax also plans to integrate artificial intelligence into its research process, using the technology to help researchers develop hypotheses, analyze biological data and optimize candidate compounds rather than simply verify results.

The company said it would draw on MGB’s clinical research infrastructure to evaluate the efficacy and safety of potential candidates and accelerate development toward commercialization.

Cosmax has also secured certification for medical device manufacturing and quality management standards and established production capabilities for Class II adhesive transparent wound dressings, expanding its preparations for medical and health care products.

“We achieved tangible results in our first joint research project with Harvard-affiliated institutions, including publication in an international journal and a patent application,” Cosmax Group Chairman Lee Kyung-soo said.

Lee said the VIVA project would help the company build technological leadership in biotechnology and medical fields, using cosmetics as a starting point.

Cosmax said it has spent 15 years researching microbiomes and holds a collection of about 3,100 microbial assets, with 204 patent applications, including 110 registered patents.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.