The Ministry of Health and Welfare will offer 3.4 billion won ($3.2 million) of funding to a research project developing eye-drop vaccines, officials said.

The fund will be given to a team led by professor Seo Kyong-ryul of Severance Hospital in Seoul for the next five years. Seo has been developing an eye-drop vaccine to prevent typhoid fever as alternative to existing vaccines injected through needles.

The state-run Korea Institute for Science and Technology and Huons, a local bio-tech firm, will also join the project to commercialize the technology, officials added.

(christory@heraldcorp.com)