Osang Healthcare, a Korean in vitro diagnostics (IVD) company, said the Research Investment for Global Health Technology (RIGHT) Foundation has selected it as a joint research institution for the “Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Diagnostics R&D Support Project.”

The project, formally titled “Development of Point-of-Care Molecular Diagnostics for Sexually Transmitted Infections (Neisseria gonorrhea, chlamydia trachomatis) Using Plasmonic Photothermal Real-Time PCR Technology,” aims to develop STI diagnostic products utilizing plasmonic photothermal PCR technology to contribute to global public health efforts.

It focuses on Osang Healthcare’s new business initiative in point-of-care molecular diagnostics (POC-MDx) technology.

The company will receive 2.16 billion won ($1.49 million) over the next three years and will develop a product in cooperation with Professor Jeong Ki-hoon’s team at KAIST and the National Nanofab Center (NNFC).

In underdeveloped regions, infections caused by chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and neisseria gonorrhea (NG) pose severe health risks to pregnant women and newborns, leading to complications such as miscarriage, premature birth, and low birth weight, Osang Healthcare explained.

Due to a lack of medical resources and low awareness, early diagnosis and treatment remain challenging.

Consequently, affordable and rapid point-of-care diagnostic solutions are essential for protecting maternal and neonatal health and improving public health outcomes.

“Globally, Korean companies are leading in the commercialization of photothermal PCR technology,” an Osang Healthcare official said. “By integrating this technology with our expertise in lyophilization, we aim to introduce the world's most advanced point-of-care molecular diagnostic device.”

The RIGHT Foundation is a non-profit organization established through a public-private partnership between the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Korean life sciences companies. The foundation supports global health equity by funding the development of therapeutics, vaccines, and medical devices aimed at preventing and treating infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries)