Cosmax Group is moving beyond cosmetics into medical and biotechnology research through an expanded partnership with a Harvard-affiliated hospital network, targeting potential treatments and health products for aging, weight management and metabolic health. The Korean cosmetics manufacturer said Tuesday it signed an agreement Oct. 13 in Boston with Mass General Brigham (MGB) to launch the second phase of their joint microbiome research, known as the VIVA project. The partnership builds on research conducted from 2024 to 2026 that identified how a substance derived from certain microorganisms eased symptoms in an atopic dermatitis model and improved skin barrier function, according to Cosmax. The findings were published in Allergy, an international journal covering allergy and clinical immunology, and Cosmax has filed a Korean patent application related to the microbial technology. Under the second phase, running from 2026 through 2029, the companies plan to broaden their work beyond cosmetic ingredients to functional ingredients for health supplements and potential drug candidates. The re