CJ CheilJedang to strengthen R&D for bio and healthcare businesses

CJ Corp. announced it will strengthen its research and development (R&D) efforts in the bio and healthcare sectors. 

CJ CheilJedang Corp. formed an advisory group of professors from renowned universities in the United States and named it the CJ Institute. 

In addition to the existing businesses, CJ CheilJedang is also leading the bio businesses within the wider CJ Group. 

From Harvard Medical School, Associate Professor of Immunology Jun Huh, Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Sun Hur, and Professor of Biomedical Informatics Peter J Park joined the advisory group. 

From the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Professor of Neuroimmunology Gloria Choi and Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering Kwanghun Chung joined the team. 

The advisory group is for “strengthening our network with leading academics in the bio and healthcare sectors to secure emerging technology,” a CJ employee explained. 

The advisory group will share its expertise on new drug development, diagnosis and R&D strategy for digital healthcare, focusing on the members’ subject matter expertise. 

Harvard’s Jun Hur vowed to serve as the “priming water” for liaising the latest biotech research results and promising startups with CJ. 

A CJ employee said, “We will expand our business in areas of digital healthcare and immunology.

EMPHASIS ON R&D 

Experts say the formation of the advisory group shows the CJ Group’s determination to keep up with the latest development in bioscience and commercialization trends. 

The word “wellness,” which encompasses the general bio sector, is one of the four keywords for growth at CJ. 

In 2018, CJ Healthcare Corp. was sold to Kolmar Korea, temporarily ending the conglomerates' business expansions in biotech.

But the company successfully conducted two mergers and acquisitions (M&As) last year, signaling its renewed interest in the sector.

CJ Cheiljedang acquired CJ Bioscience first and later acquired Batavia Bioscience B.V., a Dutch biotechnology company.

Write to Jae-Young Han at jyhan@hankyung.com
Jee Abbey Lee edited this article.