Cosmax joins Mass General Brigham to explore microbiome-based weight management, AI-powered drug discovery, functional health supplements, and innovative anti-aging solutions.

Cosmax’s biotech partnership with Harvard Medical School is set to expand the company’s research beyond cosmetics into microbiome-based health supplements, weight management and anti-aging solutions. The South Korean cosmetics maker also entered into the second joint research agreement with Mass General Brigham (MGB), which operates Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on October 13. It has established the VIVA project, which will run until 2029. Through this partnership, both sides want to find microbial materials useful in healthcare industry.

VIVA Project Targets Microbiome-Based Healthcare Innovation

The VIVA project, short for Vision, Innovation, Vitality and Advancement, will combine Cosmax’s microbiome research expertise with MGB’s clinical research infrastructure. The partnership is aims to reveal the microorganisms and their derivatives which can be used in the creation of the ingredients of health supplements and biotechnological products.

Weight and metabolic management will be the starting point for research. It is planned to study probiotics and functional ingredients that operate through the same pathways as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 is a hormone that regulates appetite and glucose metabolism.

AI and Microbiome Research Drive Development

Cosmax has been studying the microbiome from 2011 onward, having developed a library of around 3,100 microbial strains. Cosmax filed 204 patents for the microbiome research and 110 were registered, illustrating their extensive experience in using the technology of microbiomes.

Artificial intelligence will assist the VIVA research project in developing scientific hypotheses, analyzing data and screening candidate substances. Such an approach is expected to enhance the efficiency of research and help find more promising ingredients to be studied.

Apart from the healthcare of metabolism, the research partners will study aging biotechnology and substances that can affect aging processes. However, these research topics are still under examination and their future application depends on the results of efficacy and safety.

Previous Research Creates a Foundation for Expansion

This partnership is the result of research conducted jointly by both firms during the period of 2024 to 2026. In the initial phase of the collaboration, the researchers found out that a substance produced from a particular microorganism could be used to treat the symptoms of atopic dermatitis, along with improving the skin barrier function.

The study was published in the internationally renowned journal Allergy, offering a scientific basis for further advancement. Now, Cosmax is moving toward commercialization of these products based on this research. The new collaboration signifies the strategy of Cosmax to apply its expertise in cosmetic research to biotechnology and medicines. Chairman of Cosmax, Lee Kyung-soo, stated that the VIVA project would help the firm create technological dominance beyond cosmetics.

Thus, Business Fortune believes that Cosmax’s biotech expansion could redefine its growth trajectory by bridging beauty innovation, microbiome science, and healthcare.

Sources: https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/business/beauty-goes-biotech-cosmax-taps-harvard-researchers-to-help-develop-new-health-products/12932756

FAQs

What is the Cosmax VIVA project?

It is a joint microbiome research initiative between Cosmax and Mass General Brigham running through 2029.

Why is Cosmax partnering with Harvard Medical School?

The collaboration combines Cosmax’s microbiome expertise with the clinical research resources of Harvard-affiliated hospitals.

What is the main focus of the research?

Researchers will initially investigate weight management, metabolic health and GLP-1-related biological mechanisms.

How will AI contribute to the project?

AI will assist with research hypotheses, data analysis and screening potential microbial substances.

Will the research immediately produce new treatments?

No. The project is exploratory, and potential ingredients or therapies will require further testing and validation before commercial use.