Syntekabio Registers Domestic Patent for Neo-ARS, AI Platform for Neoantigen Prediction

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Syntekabio, an AI-based new drug development company utilizing genomic big data, announced on the 20th that it has completed domestic patent registration for its independently developed cancer neoantigen prediction AI platform, ‘NEO-ARS’. The official patent title is “System and Method for Providing Neoantigen Immunotherapy Information Using AI Model-Based Molecular Dynamics Big Data.”

Neoantigens are mutated peptides that do not appear in normal cells but occur only in cancer cells. They play a crucial role in cancer immunotherapy by selectively activating the body's own immune system to eliminate only cancer cells. Immuno-oncology drugs emerged as the third-generation therapy following chemotherapy and targeted therapy in the 2010s. According to IQVIA, the global immuno-oncology drug market size is expected to exceed $50 billion (approximately 64.75 trillion KRW) by 2025.

NEO-ARS is a technology that predicts neoantigens capable of activating a patient’s own T cells to attack and destroy cancer cells by stimulating the immune system, utilizing molecular dynamics big data based on an AI model. Unlike existing algorithms that predict based on peptide amino acid sequences, it comprehensively and three-dimensionally predicts MHC-antigen binding affinity for neoantigen candidates through AI-based molecular dynamics big data analysis, based on the 3D structures of detailed immune-type proteins.

Jongseon Jeong, CEO of Syntekabio, stated, “With this patent acquisition, our technology’s novelty and advancement in the neoantigen prediction platform have been recognized. We will strive to prove the technological and commercial viability through additional experimental validation and performance evaluation.” He added, “Based on NEO-ARS’s excellent neoantigen prediction accuracy, we plan to secure partners for joint research and development of cancer vaccines or immune cell therapies.”