CJ Cheiljedang partners with US biotechnology company Emmyon to develop anti-muscle loss material

[Gettyimages Bank]

SEOUL -- Targeting old people at high risk of muscle loss, CJ Cheiljedang, a key subsidiary of South Korea's food and entertainment conglomerate CJ Group, will develop materials capable of preventing sarcopenia using ursolic acid, a chemical compound that is found in the peels of fruits, as well as in herbs and spices like rosemary and thyme and can serve as a starting material for the synthesis of more potent bioactive derivatives.

There have been studies that ursolic acid is useful in improving muscle atrophy and gaining muscle mass. Through a licensing agreement with Emmyon, CJ Cheiljedang will develop materials that can prevent and improve sarcopenia, a type of muscle loss that commonly takes place among people aged more than 50.

South Korea became an aging society with more than nine million people aged 65 or older as of September 2022, accounting for 17.5 percent of the total population. Data from Statistics Korea, a state-run statistical information service, showed that South Korea would become the world's most aged society by 2067.

CJ CheilJedang will provide ursolic acid-based technology to global clients. The company said the global nutritional supplement market related to sarcopenia is projected to reach about $5 billion by 2030. "In addition to sarcopenia, we will develop and showcase personalized nutritional solutions for many different diseases such as obesity and diabetes to global customers," an unnamed CJ CheilJedang official said in a statement on December 6.

The population aged 65 or older is rapidly growing globally. According to data released by the United Nations, one in six people in the world will be 65 or older by 2050.

Kim Joo-heon jhkim123@ajunews.com