The Ministry of Health and Welfare says it will spend 33 billion won, four times the size of last year’s R&D budget, to spur technology development for curing chronic diseases.

Spending will be focused on curing rare ailments that private institutions cannot develop medicines for, including debilitating spinal cord injuries and chronic diseases such as musculoskeletal diseases, diabetes and cardiovasculo-cerebral diseases.

A mediation research project that will connect related government agencies will be launched, so the outcomes of basic research can be linked to further mediation and clinical research.

In addition, investment in clinical research projects led by individual researchers will be expanded so sufficient data for clinical research can be accumulated.