KOSDAQ-listed RAPHAS (214260) made anannouncement on the 6th that its project to develop a vaccine for tuberculosis,which combines the temperature-sensitive strain Mpg (Mycobacteriumparagordonae) and microneedle technology, has been selected as a support projectby the Global Health Technology Research Fund (RIGHT FUND).

The Light Fund aims to promote globalpublic health, Bill & Melinda, the Ministry of Health and Welfare. It is aglobal public-private partnership research fund established in July 2018 withjoint investment by the Gates Foundation and five domestic life sciencecompanies (LG Chemical, SK Bioscience, GC Green Cross, Chong Kun Dang, andGenexine).

The Light Fund has discovered, selected andsupported research on the development of vaccines, treatments, diagnosis anddigital health technologies needed to solve health and medical problems indeveloping countries.

Tuberculosis is infected with latenttuberculosis, about a quarter of the world's population. About 5 to 15 percentof them are known to develop the disease. According to the World HealthOrganization, the number of deaths from tuberculosis reached 1.5 million in2018. 2.3 million new cases of tuberculosis infection due to malnutrition havebeen reported, raising the need for a new tuberculosis vaccine that is easy toinoculate and disseminate and has high effectiveness.

"Patch-type vaccine products canprovide thermal stability and ease of inoculation, which is well suited to thepurpose of the Light Fund's support to combat infectious diseases and eliminatemedical inequality in developing countries," RAPHAS Company official said."It will be a breakthrough technology for public health care in developingcountries where refrigerated distribution and medical personnel are notaccessible."