Syntekabio Signs Joint Research MOU with Infectious Disease Therapeutics Specialist FNDR

AI new drug development specialist Syntekabio announced on the 9th that it has signed a joint research memorandum of understanding (MOU) with FNDR (Foundation for Neglected Disease Research), a non-profit organization specialized in discovering and clinically developing infectious disease candidate substances.

Following the MOU, Syntekabio will select infectious disease target proteins and discover effective compounds related to infectious disease treatment using its proprietary AI platform, DeepMatcher®. The efficacy of the compounds discovered by DeepMatcher will be validated using FNDR’s specialized infectious disease preclinical research models. Accordingly, both parties plan to rapidly secure candidate substances and develop infectious disease treatments through professional global clinical research.

Through this joint research, Syntekabio aims to secure candidate substances for infectious disease treatments. The company plans to expand its pipeline beyond existing treatments for cancer, dermatitis, and autoimmune diseases.

FNDR, a specialized infectious disease research institution, is a non-profit research organization jointly founded in 2014 by AstraZeneca researchers in Bengaluru, India. It was established to continue research by utilizing the expertise and facilities of the global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca’s preclinical research know-how after AstraZeneca’s local branch withdrew. Since then, FNDR has been conducting early-stage candidate substance discovery for infectious diseases such as bacterial infections and COVID-19, as well as preclinical to clinical research, specializing in validating the efficacy of candidate substances.

After this agreement, both parties will carry out a comprehensive collaborative project including selecting infectious disease target proteins, discovering compounds using DeepMatcher, and conducting research using FNDR’s preclinical research models.

Dr. Shridhar Narayanan, co-founder and CEO of FNDR, said, “We are pleased to collaborate with Syntekabio, which is distinguished in the AI new drug sector,” and added, “We will strive to build an infectious disease pipeline through this cooperation.”

Jung Jong-sun, CEO of Syntekabio, stated, “We expect that this joint research will enable us to secure AI new drug candidate substances for entering the infectious disease treatment market,” and added, “We will continue efforts to create cases where AI new drug platforms contribute to developing treatments that respond to new infectious diseases arising from rapidly changing environments.”