SK Chemicals Collaborates with Quantum Mechanics-Based AI Company Incelibro for New Drug Development

Verification, Non-Clinical, and Clinical Responsibilities for Candidate Substances Derived from Incelibro
Enhancing In Vivo Action Predictability through Quantum-Based Molecular Modeling Technology

Kim Jung-hoon, Head of R&D Center at SK Chemicals (left), and Jo Eun-seong, CEO of Incelibro, are shaking hands after signing an agreement.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] SK Chemicals announced on the 11th that it has signed an agreement with Inseribro, an AI new drug development company based on quantum mechanics technology, to jointly develop new drugs.

According to the agreement, Inseribro will derive lead and candidate compounds for specific diseases based on quantum mechanics-based molecular modeling technology and AI platforms, while SK Chemicals will be responsible for the overall verification of candidate compounds, from initial efficacy evaluation of the candidate compounds derived by Inseribro to non-clinical and clinical trials, as well as the approval and production of new drugs.

Inseribro was founded by Professor Eunseong Jo of the Department of Bioinformatics Engineering at Korea University. The company owns an independent platform called ‘MIND,’ which is an upgraded and more sophisticated version of the molecular modeling technology developed by Professor Jo during his tenure at Schr?dinger in the United States. MIND is a new drug development platform that combines artificial intelligence and molecular modeling, and it is evaluated as having a distinctive advantage by applying quantum mechanics technology to provide solutions that significantly enhance the drug affinity and hit rate of candidate compounds.

Kim Jung-hoon, Head of the Research and Development Center at SK Chemicals, said, “Modeling in the new drug development process is one of the fields that undergoes many trials and errors in deriving and verifying candidate compounds due to subtle differences at the molecular and quantum levels,” adding, “Through Inseribro’s differentiated technology, we expect to discover new drug candidates more accurately and rapidly.”

Furthermore, both companies have agreed to explore commercialization opportunities not only for new drug development but also for exploratory-stage compounds from projects previously conducted by Inseribro. Eunseong Jo, CEO of Inseribro, said, “We expect the competitiveness of the MIND platform accumulated so far by Inseribro to create synergy through joint research with SK Chemicals, which has rich experience and organizational strength in various new drug development fields, including compound drugs, natural products, and biologics,” and added, “We will strengthen cooperation to ensure that the competitiveness of both companies leads to breakthroughs in new drug development.”

Since 2019, SK Chemicals has been promoting new drug development by partnering with big data researchers and AI specialized companies as part of its open innovation strategy. Currently, it is conducting joint research on various projects with AI partners such as Standigm, Simplex, Deargen, and Dr. Noah.