Cosmax and Harvard Med eye weight-loss market as beauty and pharma blur

Cosmax is using its microbiome research to enter the wellness and pharmaceutical markets through a partnership with Harvard Medical School researchers. The Korean beauty manufacturer’s push beyond cosmetics into biotech and medicine comes as demand for weight-loss drugs and clinical anti-aging rises. 

Cosmax signed a joint research agreement with Mass General Bingham (MGB), a Harvard-affiliated hospital network based in Boston, US, according to the Korean Times. Under the project, the partners aim to develop health supplement ingredients and drug candidates for weight management, metabolic health, and anti-aging. It will run through 2029.

The duo’s first research priority is to find probiotics and functional ingredients that work like GLP-1, the hormone that diabetic drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic target.

Cosmax and MGB will also research ingredients for anti-aging drugs. They plan to use AI to help inform hypotheses and to screen possible candidate compounds, speeding up the process and improving accuracy. 

The project builds on a first round of research between Cosmax and MGB, which ran from 2024 to 2026, as part of the company’s Vision, Innovation, Vitality, and Advancement (VIVA) initiative.

“Through the VIVA Project, we will build technological competitiveness in the biotech and medical fields as well, beyond cosmetics,” says Lee Kyung-soo, chairman at Cosmax Group.

While beauty player Cosmax expands into medicine, a wider convergence of the beauty and wellness industries is seeing a similar push from the flip side. Korean pharmaceutical companies have steadily been rolling out skin care lines, with Yuhan Corporation being the latest. 

Cosmax is expanding beyond cosmetics into weight-loss and anti-aging research through a medical partnership.The company has launched eight dermacosmetic products this month, as part of its Dermaplamin Rx Panthenol Barrier line at Daiso, a beauty and health care retailer. 

Lab partners

MGB and Cosmax’s partnership combines the original design manufacturer’s microbiome research capabilities with Harvard’s clinical research infrastructure. MGB oversees a network of teaching hospitals that are affiliated with Harvard Medical School. The network has access to extensive clinical data and a large pool of researchers, including Harvard Medical School graduates. 

The pair will use MGB’s infrastructure to verify the efficacy and safety of any candidate substances the research yields. MGB will also help accelerate the development of these substances toward commercialization. 

Expanding beauty’s boundaries

The cosmetics industry has increasingly positioned beauty as an extension of overall health and wellness. The rise of GLP-1 weight-loss medications is accelerating the convergence of the categories, and as a result, is carving out new commercial opportunities for cosmetics brands.

Personal Care Insights previously reported on how rapid-weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are fuelling demand for targeted skin care solutions.

Using these medications is linked to a loss of firmness and volume in the face’s skin, popularly dubbed “Ozempic face.” The term is giving rise to dedicated products that boost firmness and volume.

Cosmax’s entry into weight-loss research marks a shift where beauty brands are now targeting both the pursuit of weight loss and the visible effects it has on the body. 

The rise of GLP-1 medications is creating new opportunities for beauty brands to target the visible effects of rapid weight loss.Last month, a scientific review published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal, found that people using rapid weight-loss medications subject their skin to a state of breakdown and repair. However, due to common nutritional deficiencies, the skin cannot structurally remodel itself.

The review highlighted innovation opportunities for nutrocosmetic supplements containing collagen, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients for GLP-1-related skin, hair, and nail health. 

Clinical care meets shelves

With medically-inspired beauty products gaining ground, the convergence of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals is experiencing innovation in both directions. Korean pharma company Yuhan Corporation’s expanded dermacosmetics range marks an example. 

The Panthenol Barrier line uses a Cica Calming Complex formula, which combines panthenol (up to 5%), centella asiatica-derived lactic acid bacteria, Centella asiatica PDRN, and tea tree oil.

According to the company, all products in the range have passed irritation testing for sensitive skin.

The key product, the Panthenol Barrier Ampoule (50 mL), has a highly concentrated formula that helps moisturize the stratum corneum, while the Panthenol Barrier Cream (60 mL) contains 5% panthenol and forms a moisturizing barrier.

“We decided to introduce this derma skin care, which brings together Yuhan Corporation’s rigorous quality standards and pharmaceutical research capabilities, through Daiso so that it would be accessible to everyone from teenagers onward,” The Financial News quotes a company representative.

“We will continue to build our position as a derma brand for the general public, offering practical solutions to the skin concerns of modern people whose skin is exposed to irritation every day.”

The move marks the latest in a slew of Korean drug manufacturers converting their pharmaceutical research, ingredients, and tech for medical applications into cosmetics.

Dongkook Pharmaceutical, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, and Hanmi Science previously expanded their expertise in wound care, growth factors, vitamin research, and drug development to support skin care claims.

As beauty and medicine increasingly blur, the personal care industry is positioned to expand its reach beyond appearance into health.