On December 26, 2024, the Function Marine Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation Industrial Base was officially put into operation, which marks the advancement from "Seeking Food from the Sea" to "Seeking Medicine from the Sea," and officially opens a new chapter in the development of the marine biomedical industry.
The company is currently planning to build a Function Marine Medicine Industrial Park, with the goal of establishing a national-level marine medicine R&D center that is provided with pharmaceutical research laboratories for process research, quality standard research, etc. Leveraging this platform, top industry technical resources, R&D teams, and innovative achievements are gathered. By creating a world-class R&D base and industrial cluster, we will promote the efficient utilization and in-depth development of marine resources, continuously achieve breakthroughs in marine-derived drugs, natural extracts, and other fields, and further realize the concept of the "Blue Medicine Library".
On December 26, 2025, the 2nd International Academic Forum on Marine Medicine and Biological Products, themed "Deepen Sci-Tech Innovation, Tap Marine Resources for Food & Medicine", was opened in Qingdao. Experts and scholars from top universities and research institutions worldwide such as the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, China Pharmaceutical University, Ocean University of China, University of Oslo, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, and etc. As well as representatives from international leading enterprises gathered to conduct in-depth discussions on the development of medicinal value and innovation in biological products of Antarctic krill, jointly mapping out the blueprint for high-quality development of the marine medicine and biological product industry. At the forum, Function Technology and the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute jointly launched the "Antarctic Krill Oil Quality Evaluation Technology and Standard Development Project".
So far, for the pharmaceutical development of Antarctic krill, pilot-scale production of krill phospholipids as pharmaceutical excipients has been completed. The extraction and purification of polyene phosphatidylcholine are being carried out for API and formulation development. Phospholipid-modified drugs such as liposomes or phospholipid complexes are being prepared for high-end formulation development. Additionally, polypeptide drug screening is being conducted based on genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses.
Considering the lipid-lowering effect of Omega-3 fatty acids abundant in Antarctic krill oil, lipid-lowering drug development can be pursued for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and fatty liver disease. Additionally, phospholipid-type unsaturated fatty acids can cross the blood-brain barrier, making them potentially useful for the treatment of the Alzheimer's disease. The project "Development of Refined Polyene Phosphatidylcholine (PPC) from Antarctic Krill Oil as a Drug for Hyperlipidemia Treatment" by Function was selected for the 2024 Shandong Provincial Enterprise Technology Innovation Project Plan (Batch I).
Function Technology and Qingdao University jointly launched the project "Preliminary Pharmacological Evaluation of Krill Oil and High-Purity Antarctic Krill-derived Polyene Phosphatidylcholine in the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease". Both parties will focus on high-purity Antarctic krill-derived polyene phosphatidylcholine, leveraging its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier to explore its role and mechanism in preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative disease.
Given the excellent biocompatibility and unique amphiphilicity, marine phospholipids are highly suitable for developing novel pharmaceutical excipients as drug delivery systems. Preparing liposomes, phospholipid complexes, fat emulsions, or bile salt-mixed micelles helps enhance the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. The addition of other components can also improve sustained/controlled release and targeting capabilities of drugs.
Function Technology in collaboration with Ocean University of China established the Marine Phospholipid Medical Innovation Joint Research Center. As a national "Double First-Class" Category A university, Ocean University of China holds significant advantages in the field of marine biomedicine. The Marine Phospholipid Medical Innovation Joint Research Center will precisely address challenges in applying marine phospholipids as APIs and pharmaceutical excipients. The Center is dedicated to establishing a full-chain technological pathway from basic marine resources to high-end formulations, helping China break through the "bottleneck" predicament of long-term dependence on imports for core lipid materials for high-end formulations such as lipid nanoparticles (LNP) and nano fat emulsions.
The comprehensive evaluation of krill phospholipids is conducted, including quality research and safety assessment, and the documentation is submitted to the Center for Drug Evaluation, NMPA for excipient registration and filing, thereby developing it into a novel pharmaceutical excipient.
Function Technology and Qingdao University have jointly established the "Marine Pharmaceutical High-end Formulation R&D Center". The uniquely structured marine phospholipids derived from Antarctic krill are utilized to modify and improve poorly soluble drugs. The preparation of high-end formulations such as liposomes or phospholipid complexes helps enhance the bioavailability, targeting, and other properties of drugs.
Antarctic krill possesses the largest known genome on Earth to date, at 48 GB, which is 16 times that of human, and features strong adaptability and high reproductive capacity. This makes it promising for screening polypeptide drugs with functions such as ovulation induction, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory effects.
The genomic and transcriptomic analysis of Antarctic krill is carried out to identify the functions of various gene segments, screen for active polypeptides, and develop polypeptide drugs for ovulation induction, anti-aging, anti-tumor, anti-osteoporosis, and other applications.
Leveraging the abundant marine biological resources and their strong druggability, the development of marine traditional Chinese medicine is carried out. It possesses both "marine" and "traditional Chinese medicine" characteristics.
Marine TCM compound formulations: Marine TCM compound formulations for the treatment of metabolic diseases are developed based on TCM theory.
Marine natural medicines: Based on modern medical theory, active ingredients with therapeutic effects on tumors, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and nervous system disorders are extracted from marine organisms.
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