Can Parkinson's Disease Be Diagnosed by Walking... PeopleBio and JRS Collaborate

JAYUS's 'Motion Core' platform usage scene
Photo by JAYUS

PeopleBio, which has launched the Alzheimer's disease blood test kit 'AlzOn' and is actively entering the business, is partnering with AI-based healthcare platform company JAYUS to expand its business. The strategy is to create new value by converging the strengths of bio and IT technologies on the technical side and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases on the disease side.

PeopleBio and JAYUS announced on the 16th that they will begin full-scale collaboration based on 'converged big data' in the diagnostic field. PeopleBio initially invested 3 billion KRW in JAYUS in 2021 and, through successive investments, currently holds the position of the largest shareholder. At the upcoming JAYUS regular shareholders' meeting on the 30th, Daewon Cho, CFO of PeopleBio, will be appointed as a new director to promote operational efficiency between the two companies.

The background for PeopleBio's continued interest in JAYUS lies in 'synergy' and 'business area expansion.' Among degenerative brain diseases, Alzheimer's disease has the highest incidence rate, followed by Parkinson's disease. Currently, PeopleBio is developing diagnostic technology for Alzheimer's disease, while JAYUS is developing diagnostic technology for Parkinson's disease. However, the two companies' approaches to 'diagnosis' are explained to be different. PeopleBio uses technology that analyzes misfolded proteins in the blood, whereas JAYUS diagnoses diseases through technology that analyzes human motion characteristics. Human motion characteristics refer to traits or behaviors inherent to humans, and this method digitizes the responses of the nervous system, musculoskeletal system, etc., based on these traits to identify their characteristics.

JAYUS's motion analysis platform 'Motion Core' collects and digitizes users' motion characteristic data by having them wear a sensor on the ankle and walk within 3 minutes. JAYUS conducts precise analysis using clinical big data from over 30,000 subjects approved by the official Institutional Review Board (IRB) and explains that it can also simulate various future states based on the current condition. By applying motion characteristic data to posture and motor ability measurement fields, they plan to launch a platform soon that can present the current state and be used to improve motor abilities.

The digital biomarker industry market size is expected to grow at an average annual rate of over 40%, from $520 million (approximately 682.1 billion KRW) in 2018 to $5.64 billion (7.398 trillion KRW) in 2025.

Daewon Cho, CFO of PeopleBio, emphasized, “Since PeopleBio and JAYUS each possess unique technologies in the medical diagnostic market, through collaboration with JAYUS, we plan to present digital solutions for cognitive function testing and enhancement,” adding, “As we approach the same market from different directions, more multidimensional medical services will be possible.”