HLB Group is making a 5 billion KRW investment in AI drug development company Arontier. This decision aims to integrate AI platform technology into HLB Group's diverse drug development pipelines to accelerate the pace and success rate of its bio business.
On the 3rd, HLB Panagen announced that it will acquire 474,664 new shares of Arontier worth 4 billion KRW, securing a 10% stake. Separately, HLB Investment will invest 1 billion KRW through its independently managed ‘HLBI Albam No.1 Investment Association’ to acquire a 2.5% stake.
HLB Group has established a foundation to actively utilize AI platforms in its core growth areas of diagnostics and therapeutics.
HLB Panagen will collaborate with Arontier to advance its drug development business using its core material, PNA (artificial DNA). HLB Panagen has previously developed molecular diagnostic products using PNA. By applying AI platforms, it plans to expand its business into therapeutic drug development. PNA is similar to DNA or RNA but is structurally more stable, has higher binding affinity, and is easier to modify. Compared to existing nucleic acid-based therapeutics, it is expected to be more competitive in terms of efficacy as well as manufacturing and storage.
Arontier excels at discovering targets based on patient genomic and clinical data through its AI drug platform. It possesses advanced technologies in mRNA design and protein synthesis structure design. It is anticipated that an optimal drug development model using PNA can be established. Arontier also owns a self-developed AI diagnostic platform, enabling future collaboration not only with HLB Panagen but also with its subsidiary Biosquare to strengthen new AI diagnostic product lineups.
Jang In-geun, CEO of HLB Panagen, introduced, "Arontier has capabilities in developing AI multimodal models across various areas, from low molecular compounds to nucleic acids and proteins, and in diagnostics covering genomics, antigen expression, and imaging information."
He added, "Arontier will be HLB Panagen’s best partner. By securing AI diagnostic platform technology following the PNA-based molecular diagnostic platform and Biosquare’s immunodiagnostic platform, we will build global competitiveness by providing a total solution for precision diagnostics."
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