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The Ministry of Health and Welfare signed an investment Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) worth approximately 140 billion won with global pharmaceutical company Novartis APMA to establish a domestic ecosystem for radioligand therapy (RLT) research and development, manufacturing, and treatment. Health authorities expect the agreement to significantly elevate South Korea's radiopharmaceutical production and research capabilities.

The Ministry announced on July 21 that it held a signing ceremony with Novartis at the Novotel Ambassador Hotel in Yongsan, Seoul, to execute the "MOU for Building a Radioligand Therapy Ecosystem in South Korea".

Under the agreement, Novartis plans to focus its investment on developing the domestic RLT ecosystem by building manufacturing facilities and advanced cold-chain logistics networks, expanding the number of domestic hospitals equipped to administer RLT from 10 to 30, and fostering world-class local research personnel.

Novartis has previously engaged in investments and partnerships with Korean pharmaceutical companies across various fields, including technology transfers and clinical research. Building on these past collaborative achievements, this manufacturing facility investment in the advanced biopharmaceutical sector is expected to bolster domestic R&D and manufacturing capabilities for radiopharmaceuticals.

Health and Welfare Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong remarked, "We warmly welcome Novartis, a leader in the global pharmaceutical and biotech markets, for choosing to make a large-scale manufacturing investment based on its trust in South Korea's outstanding technological capabilities and potential". She added, "We expect this agreement to serve as an opportunity to provide innovative treatment options for domestic patients".

                                                                                                         Lee Jeong-yeon