[Sejong] RudaCure (CEO Yongho Kim) has been selected as the 87th company in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ (MAFRA) “A-Ventures of the Month” program. The ministry announced the selection on July 30, 2026.
“A-Ventures of the Month” is a MAFRA program that identifies and promotes an outstanding venture start-up in the agriculture and food sector each month, recognizing companies for their technology and growth potential. RudaCure was recognized as a biotech start-up developing therapeutics for intractable diseases in companion animals.
Why RudaCure — therapeutics for intractable companion-animal diseases
Building on its research into TRPV1, a central ion channel target in pain and inflammation, RudaCure develops both human therapeutics and veterinary medicines. The selection highlighted its progress on treatments for two of the most common intractable conditions in companion animals: dry eye disease (keratoconjunctivitis sicca, KCS) and osteoarthritis pain.
- RCI001-AH (companion-animal dry eye disease): an eye drop that suppresses inflammation and supports the recovery of damaged ocular tissue, applying the same TRPV1-downstream anti-inflammatory mechanism as the human therapeutic RCI001.
- RCI002-AH (companion-animal osteoarthritis pain): a non-narcotic analgesic under development, designed to deliver roughly three months of pain relief from a single administration.
Taking Korean veterinary medicines to global markets
The veterinary medicines market is growing rapidly alongside the rising number of companion-animal households, yet the domestic market still relies heavily on imported products. The government plans to raise manufacturing and quality-control standards for veterinary medicines to international levels and to support domestic developers of companion-animal therapeutics, broadening the base for exports.
RudaCure is extending the TRPV1 mechanism research and compound assets accumulated in human drug development into veterinary medicines, with the aim of entering the global companion-animal therapeutics market.
Selection at a glance
| Organizer | Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) |
| Program | A-Ventures of the Month |
| Cohort | 87th selected company |
| Announced | July 30, 2026 |
| Field | Development of therapeutics for intractable companion-animal diseases (veterinary medicines) |
RudaCure's revenue grew from KRW 438 million in 2023 to KRW 1.804 billion in 2025, continuing its expansion in the companion-animal medicines market.
Related coverage
- ▶ Herald Business — Growing Korean companion-animal therapeutics: RudaCure named MAFRA's "A-Ventures of the Month" (by Seonguk Kim)
- ▶ News Seoul — MAFRA targets global markets with Korean veterinary medicines, driving innovation in companion-animal care
The selection was also reported by Nongmin Shinmun, ETNews, Newsis, News1, Saehan Ilbo, BioBookMedia and other outlets.