Konkuk University Professor Shin Chan-young's team transfers patent technology for a new candidate substance for autism treatment 

August 4, 2016 - Konkuk University Medical School Professor Chan-Young Shin (Department of Pharmacology) and his research team recently transferred the patent for agmatine, a new candidate for autism treatment, to the Korean Traditional Medicine Research Institute to begin development and commercialization of the treatment. announced on the 4th.

Autism, as a brain development disorder, is a wide-ranging disease accompanied by various symptoms such as attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder, etc. centering on lack of social and communication skills. About 1 in 100 people worldwide suffer from autism, but currently FDA-approved autism drugs are used for the purpose of controlling hyperactivity, not for the purpose of improving the core symptoms of autism, so there is virtually no cure.

Professor Shin Chan-young said, “Agmatine acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain, suppressing the hyperexcitability of nerves in autism and improving autistic behavior.” “It is very encouraging to have a patent.”

The technology transfer patent this time is the first registered patent in Korea as a drug candidate with autism treatment efficacy, and will receive additional support for the initial advance technology fee of 170 million won, technology transfer fee for each stage of development, and current technology fee for the development of the treatment. It is considered to have provided a new turning point.

Professor Shin Chan-young said, "The development of autism treatment should be approached from the perspective of developing a customized treatment based on patient reclassification considering the patient's characteristics, rather than developing a single treatment."