[Edaily Reporter KIM JI-WAN ] #CJ Bioscience is set to develop health functional foods using microbiome technology and expand its digital healthcare business.

CJ Bioscience announced on the 15th that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with digital healthcare company The Way Healthcare to develop and commercialize microbiome-based personalized health management solutions.

Under this agreement, the two companies have agreed to collaborate across the entire business spectrum—from microbiome research and development to clinical trials, distribution of health functional foods, and digital health management services. The partnership will combine CJ Bioscience’s microbial analysis and strain development technologies with The Way Healthcare’s network of medical institutions and clinical research capabilities.

Initially, the companies will focus on developing products related to gut and respiratory health using CJ Bioscience’s proprietary strains, “CJRB-101” and “CJRB-402.” They plan to launch the business with a focus on gut health products and expand into multi-functional products following joint research on respiratory health.

The companies are exploring the possibility of supplying the developed products through The Way Healthcare’s network of partner medical institutions. They also plan to expand their distribution network into markets such as health management services for cancer patients.

The two companies will also strengthen collaboration in the field of clinical research. Leveraging The Way Healthcare’s capabilities in conducting investigator-initiated trials (IITs), they plan to evaluate the effects of microbiome products on improving gut health and accumulate relevant data.

The companies are also exploring ways to utilize The Way Healthcare’s capabilities as a Contract Research Organization (CRO) in the commercialization process of CJ Bioscience’s existing pipeline. Additionally, they are seeking collaboration in the field of data management, including the establishment of a Health Data Management System (HDMS).

In the digital healthcare business, the two companies will jointly develop an application that analyzes the state of the gut microbiome and supports dietary management. In particular, they plan to introduce features that manage the intake of MAC (Microbiota-Accessible Carbohydrates), which are carbohydrates available to gut microbiota.

Building on this, the companies intend to expand the scope of services to include gut health management for cancer patients taking opioid analgesics. The goal is to provide personalized health management services by linking patients’ gut microbiome data with dietary information.

A representative from The Way Healthcare stated, “By integrating CJ Bioscience’s capabilities in microbiome analysis and digital wellness with The Way Healthcare’s platform, we aim to develop personalized health management services, and we plan to expand our collaboration in the future to include DTx platforms, health data management, and clinical research support systems.”

A CJ Bioscience official remarked, “This agreement is highly significant as it establishes a virtuous cycle business model spanning research and development, clinical trials, specialized distribution, and integration with digital healthcare,” adding, “Based on the expertise of both companies, we will secure a differentiated competitive edge in the microbiome-based personalized healthcare market.”