The Research Investment for Global Health Technology (RIGHT) Fund said it would add 18 billion won ($14.8 million) support for 17 domestic R&D projects, including Covid-19 vaccine development, infectious disease response, and digital health technology development.
Established in Korea in July 2018, RIGHT Fund consists of funds jointly invested by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, LG Chem, SK Bioscience, GC Pharma, Chong Kun Dang, Genexine, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Marking the second anniversary in July, RIGHT Fund has funded 28.5 billion won for 22 research projects on infectious diseases since 2019.
RIGHT Fund said it would provide 50 billion won support for large and small projects to help Korea develop infectious disease-fighting technologies to deal with public health issues in developing countries by 2022.
The 17 domestic R&D projects that won the new funding include research on the Covid-19 vaccine, Covid-19 diagnosis, digital health technology development, respiratory infections, tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis A, meningococcal infection, black fever, anti-typhoid technology, and patch-type vaccine technology.
Among the 22 research projects, eight are related to R&D on respiratory infectious diseases, including Covid-19.
Kim Youn-been, CEO of RIGHT Fund, said RIGHT Fund-supported projects aim to improve the local public health and contribute to infectious disease response and fight against medical inequality in developing countries, through Korea’s development of excellent vaccines, treatments, diagnostic kits, and digital health technology.
RIGHT Fund will link Korea’s strong technological power with developing countries’ need for the public health improvement, and achieve meaningful results in the earliest possible time, she added.
Targeting to provide funds in the first half of next year, RIGHT Fund is opening a public contest for research on vaccines, treatments, diagnosis, and digital health for responding to endemic and emerging infectious diseases in developing countries until July 7. For more information about the contest, visit the official website of RIGHT Fund at http://www.rightfund.org.