[CEO Column by Chae-jeong Heo] Organoid 'Material Sovereignty': The Key to the Future of Drug Discovery

2026.10.12

A column by CEO Chae-jeong Heo was published in Changup Boguk. In an era of replacing animal testing, the development and standardization of core materials such as domestic extracellular matrices (ECM), hydrogels, and bioinks will define national biotech competitiveness.

The Key to Drug Discovery: Organoid 'Material Sovereignty'. Learn about HADD Science. @haddscience

chapter 01. Look Beyond Technology to Secure Materials 🧪. As animal testing reaches its limits, organoids and 3D cell culture are emerging as next-generation drug discovery platforms. However, building sophisticated organoids requires essential materials: an environment where cells can grow and differentiate.. CEO Heo Chae-jeong · Founding the Nation Column

chapter 02. Materials Supporting the Organoid Platform 🧫. Extracellular Matrix (ECM). Supports cell growth and tissue formation. Tissue-Specific Culture Gel. Replicates distinct environments for each tissue. 3D Bioink. Mimics the in vivo environment. Microfluidic Chip · Scaffold. Controls fluid flow and microenvironment

chapter 03. Talent and Tech, but Not the Materials ⚠️. Materials are more than lab consumables. They decide cell survival, differentiation and how reproducible results are. Relying on imports raises research costs, delays development and limits commercialization.

chapter 04. Five Priorities for National Investment 🎯. Domestic ECM and hydrogels. Tissue-specific 3D bioink platforms. Standard materials for patient organoids. Material specs for animal-free testing. Domestic microfluidic chip materials

chapter 05. Translating Lab Success into Industry 🤝. On June 4, CorestemChemon and HADD Science signed an agreement to jointly develop an organoid-based animal alternative testing platform. HADD Science leads mass production of organoids using ADDGEL.

chapter 06. What Government Should Do 🏛️. Map import reliance, pick priorities. Expand shared testing infrastructure. Link R&D to commercialization. Set standards and evaluation criteria. Back material startups long-term

chapter 07. Turn Material Excellence into a Reason to Buy 🚀. Startups must not evaluate material development solely as a technical achievement. They must clearly define who the customer is, what problem is solved, how performance is proven and mass-produced, and why customers must buy.

A Word from the CEO 💬. “A great drug discovery platform needs great materials; to grow great materials into an industry, it takes bold startups and national strategy.”. Heo Chae-jeong, CEO of HADD Science

창업보국 — [허채정교수 칼럼] 신약 개발의 미래를 좌우할 열쇠, 오가노이드 '소재 주권' 확보에 달렸다 ↗

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