Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) has been selected as a core participating institution in the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ KRW 30 billion candidate project for the “Next-Generation Animal Pharmaceuticals Regulatory Sandbox.” Through this, JBNU is expected to lead the Project to Establish an Animal Pharmaceuticals Clinical Trials Center, which will be funded with KRW 30 billion, and to establish itself as a national key research hub leading new drug development for animal pharmaceuticals. JBNU plans to concentrate all its capabilities to be selected, together with Jeollabuk-do and Iksan City, as a final candidate site in May 2026.

The Regulatory Sandbox is a system introduced in 2019 that relaxes regulations to promote new-technology-based industries in non-metropolitan regions. It provides support from the government for regulatory exemptions and financial assistance (research and development (R&D), commercialization, infrastructure), tax benefits, and reductions in levies to attract companies. Jeollabuk-do has already been designated for the Eco-Friendly Vehicle Sandbox (2019), Carbon Convergence Sandbox (2020), and Functional Food Sandbox (2025).

JBNU will vigorously pursue the Project to Establish an Animal Pharmaceuticals Clinical Trials Center in connection with the creation of this special zone. The JUIC Triangle, which specializes in pet bio and animal pharmaceuticals in Iksan and Jeongeup through selection for the Glocal University 30 project, is expected to gain further momentum in connection with this effort.

If selected as a final candidate site next year, the center will become a core research infrastructure for conducting clinical (Phase III) trials for new animal drugs. It will be equipped with functions such as ▲clinical trial facilities for companion and specialty animal pharmaceuticals ▲R&D for treatments of intractable diseases ▲support for nonclinical–clinical linked trials. Through this, Korea will, for the first time, secure a systematic research environment capable of conducting commercialization-stage clinical trials (Phase III) for animal pharmaceuticals.

JBNU plans to implement the project on a total scale of KRW 45 billion across an area of 180.16 km², centered on the Iksan Animal Pharmaceuticals Cluster and the Jeongeup Jeonbuk Advanced Science Industrial Complex, over four years from 2027 to 2030.

In cooperation with the National Institute of Toxicological Science and 17 companies and institutions, JBNU will lead major demonstration tasks such as ▲validation of new drug efficacy and safety assessment guidelines ▲demonstration of expanding autogenous vaccine coverage to all applicable products ▲verification of the validity of designating cats as laboratory animals ▲verification of duplicate-exemption of tests between human pharmaceuticals and animal pharmaceuticals.

Through these efforts, it is expected to resolve bottlenecks in new animal drug development, promote substitution for imported pharmaceuticals, and drive standardization of domestically developed technologies, thereby strengthening the competitiveness of the national animal healthcare industry.

At the same time, JBNU, centered on Industry-University Cooperation, will establish a cooperative framework linking local governments, research institutes, and companies, and promote revitalization of the regional industrial ecosystem through training of specialized personnel for animal pharmaceuticals, field‑customized demonstration research, and support for technology commercialization. 

President Yang said, “This selection is recognition at the national level of JBNU’s steadily accumulated research capabilities in animal pharmaceuticals and its foundation of industry–university–research collaboration. By establishing the clinical trials center, we will complete a university-centered research–industry convergence model and lead the development of the national animal pharmaceuticals industry.”

He added, “As public interest in companion animal health management and disease treatment has increased, innovation in the domestic animal pharmaceuticals industry is urgently needed. The establishment of this clinical trials center will be an important turning point for JBNU, as a research-focused university, in responding to national demand.”

Meanwhile, this project will be operated as part of the Glocal University initiative with the Korea Animal Drug Evaluation and Research Institute (a foundation) participating as the lead organization. JBNU’s Regional Development Research Institute and the Iksan Animal Healthcare Research Institute will jointly advance the project.