HLB Life Science subsidiary HLB Life Science R&D said on the 13th it will use medical cannabis to develop domestically sourced active pharmaceutical ingredients. The plan is to use the non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) component in cannabis for cancer, anti-inflammatory, and skin disease treatments.
HLB Life Science R&D was selected as a joint research institution for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' "agrobioresource-based national essential drug ingredient supply chain response technology development project." It will form a consortium with Dongguk University, Gyeongbuk Institute for Bio-Industry, APAC, and others to carry out the project.
Until now, domestic cannabis varieties had low cannabidiol content and were not suitable for medical use. Under this project, it plans to develop cannabis cultivation technology to secure a stable supply of cannabidiol and build a platform to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients. The total project budget is 5.7 billion won.
Chief Executive Kim Yeon-tae of HLB Life Science R&D said, "We will localize high-purity cannabidiol active pharmaceutical ingredients through cooperation with consortium participants."