Dr. Jerome Kim, director general of the International Vaccine Institute (left), and Korea Ginseng CEO Kim Jae-su pose at a signing event Thursday. (Korea Ginseng)
South Korea’s leading ginseng manufacturer, Korea Ginseng, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Vaccine Institute to develop an adjuvant -- an agent that can improve the performance of a vaccine.
The two will work together to develop an adjuvant using Korea Ginseng’s popular red ginseng brand CheongKwanJang, the company said Friday.
Korea Ginseng will provide 12 types of ginsenosides while the institute, a nonprofit organization that is working with vaccine companies to develop COVID-19 vaccines, will conduct research into their effectiveness as an immune booster.
The company added that findings from the research could help vaccine development.
Dr. Song Man-ki, the institute’s acting deputy director general of science, said the new research is part of many efforts to develop an adjuvant for various vaccines including ones against COVID-19.
Park Chae-kyu, head of Korea Ginseng’s research and development unit, said he expects the newly signed memorandum to increase the value of red ginseng.
By Yim Hyun-su (
hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)
