In March, a large wildfire occurred in the areas of Uiseong and Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, causing significant damage. There were not only property losses but also a number of fatalities due to the wildfire. The animals also could not escape the flames. Many animals suffered from severe burns or respiratory damage.
There is a medical device company that has stepped forward to help the animals affected by the wildfire. Recens Medical received De Novo approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last September for its innovative cooling anesthesia technology. De Novo is an FDA approval system for new medical devices that do not have similar prior technologies. Since it applies to unprecedented technologies, the processes of animal testing and clinical trials are much more complex than other medical device approvals.
◇Development of an ice gun for rapid drug delivery
Professor Kim Gun-ho of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) founded Recens Medical in 2016 based on rapid cooling anesthesia technology. This time, he introduced 'VetEase,' which incorporates the same technology for veterinary medical devices. Meeting at the company's headquarters in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Kim described VetEase as a kind of 'ice gun.'
Kim noted, "Another feature of the cooling anesthesia technology is its speed, which is close to supersonic. By utilizing this, it is possible to accelerate and deliver drugs quickly." He explained that VetEase is a medical device that delivers a drug extracted from placenta called an exosome using an ice gun.
VetEase rapidly cools exosomes into fine ice particles and delivers them to the skin without pain by spraying them at high speed. Recens Medical has provided VetEase to various animal hospitals to assist in treating animals affected by the wildfire in Gyeongsangbuk-do.
Exosomes are tiny vesicles that carry signals between cells and are known to promote cell regeneration. Kim explained that VetEase alleviates inflammation occurring on the skin of animals using the cooling effect. It is similar to the principle of applying ice to reduce pain and inflammation when a wound or inflammation occurs.
◇Expanding into veterinary clinics following ophthalmology and dermatology
Recens Medical signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Yuhan Corporation in February to collaborate on marketing and selling VetEase. A representative from Yuhan Corporation stated, "This technology can reduce dependency on steroid drugs traditionally used for skin conditions, minimizing side effects, thereby providing comfort for both pets and their owners through painless and safe procedures."
Recens Medical has expanded its product lineup by launching VetEase, following the release of its ophthalmic cooling anesthesia device 'OcuCool' and a precision cooling device for dermatology called 'TargetCool.' The company recorded 6.2 billion won in sales last year, and in just the first quarter of this year, it has already achieved 2.3 billion won in sales.
The company is preparing for an initial public offering. In April, it received an A-A grade in a technological assessment for special technology listings. Kim said, "Based on the experience and know-how gained from OcuCool and TargetCool, we are reducing trial and error in the veterinary medical device market and growing rapidly," adding, "VetEase is currently sold only in Korea, but we are preparing to launch it in the U.S. and Europe as well."
◇Expanding production facilities… also pursuing entry into the U.S. and Europe
Kim stated that one of the reasons for this rapid growth is the support from the Inter-Ministerial R&D Project for Medical Devices.
Kim noted, "I conducted clinical trials in the U.S. for OcuCool's FDA approval, but due to the overlap with COVID-19, it took longer and was more challenging than expected," adding, "Thanks to the overseas clinical trial support project from the Inter-Ministerial Project, we were able to complete it successfully." OcuCool was selected as one of the top 10 projects by the Inter-Ministerial Project for 2025.
Kim stated that they plan to continue increasing production facilities and manufacturing personnel while also making ongoing improvements to existing products. He added, "In the past, sales and order-taking were the issues, but now production is unable to keep up with orders," stating that they aim to continue expanding production lines and plan to introduce an improved version of the dermatological cooling device TargetCool with significantly enhanced performance in early 2026.