- Transition to Advanced Research Institute framework to enhance R&D capabilities

- Follow-up measure following designation as a National Strategic Technology Specialized Institute

▲ mRNA manufacturing facility

The Practical Commercialization Support Team, PCMO's research and development organization, has been expanded and reorganized into the 'Research Institute' this June, with full-scale operations now underway.

The launch of the Research Institute is a follow-up measure to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's designation of PCMO as a 'National Strategic Technology Specialized Institute (Infectious Disease Sector)' last year. Through this organizational restructuring, PCMO plans to further advance its biopharmaceutical R&D functions and expand its related capabilities.

The government has recently been focusing on creating an environment that enables the rapid development of vaccines and therapeutics in preparation for novel infectious diseases such as COVID-19. In particular, it has committed to supporting the development of relevant technologies with the goal of domestically producing mRNA vaccines by 2028. The plan involves developing and stockpiling vaccine prototypes during normal times, so that large-scale vaccination can be carried out swiftly when an infectious disease outbreak occurs.

In line with this policy direction, PCMO has further strengthened its biopharmaceutical process development and commercialization support functions, centering on the Research Institute. To support the development of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics — areas of growing importance — PCMO has advanced its related technologies and reorganized its support framework to ensure that research outcomes can progress through to clinical and commercialization stages.

In addition, PCMO has recently established an mRNA manufacturing facility, putting in place the infrastructure needed for next-generation vaccine and therapeutic development. This enables PCMO to handle the full-cycle manufacturing process, from drug substance production including pDNA manufacturing to finished pharmaceutical product manufacturing. By supporting the production of clinical trial samples and process validation, PCMO is expected to contribute to shortening the development timeline through to the commercial launch of biopharmaceuticals.

Going forward, PCMO plans to continue pursuing research in next-generation vaccines and biopharmaceuticals, centering on the Research Institute. It also aims to establish a research environment capable of responding flexibly to future infectious diseases and evolving biotechnology trends.