Galaxy Secures Investment from LG, Develops Global-Standard Antibody Design AI 'GalaxyDesign'
Galaxy and LG Chem Collaborate on AI Drug Development through Joint Research on Anticancer Protein Development
Galaxy, a domestic artificial intelligence new drug development company (CEO Cha-ok Seok), and LG Chem signed a joint research agreement on the 23rd to develop anticancer drugs using new drug design AI technology.
In this collaboration, Galaxy will design anticancer protein lead compounds that surpass the limitations of existing treatments based on AI technology, while LG Chem will be responsible for optimizing the lead compounds, preclinical studies, and global clinical development. LG Chem is expected to shorten the new drug development period for new targets and secure differentiated new substances by utilizing Galaxy's AI technology.
Previously, Galaxy unveiled 'GalaxyDesign,' an antibody design AI at a level comparable to Google's AlphaFold and the University of Washington's RoseTTAFold. This technology, disclosed on bioRxiv, demonstrated the best performance among antibody design AIs published to date. The theoretical performance of Galaxy's technology, optimized for therapeutic antibody design, is comparable to Google's AlphaFold and Zyra Therapeutics' protein structure prediction technology. In actual antibody design technology tests, it showed performance more than five times superior to the technology announced by the U.S.-listed company AbSci. Based on this technological capability, Galaxy also attracted investment from LG last year.
Professor Min-Kyung Baek, who led the development of RoseTTAFold at the University of Washington and is currently working at the Department of Biological Sciences at Seoul National University, said, "In terms of new drug design, domestic AI development capabilities are already at a global level. The antibody design technology announced by Galaxy this time is also outstanding worldwide, and I hope that a successful case of AI new drug development will emerge in Korea through anticancer drug development with LG Chem."
Hee-Bong Lee, Executive Vice President of the Research and Development Division at LG Chem's Life Sciences Business Headquarters, also expressed expectations, saying, "Based on the partnership with Galaxy, which possesses leading protein design AI technology, we will accelerate the development of globally competitive anticancer drugs."
Galaxy is an AI new drug development company jointly founded in 2020 by Professor Cha-ok Seok of the Department of Chemistry at Seoul National University and three researchers (Tae-Yong Park, Jong-Hoon Won, and Jin-Sol Yang). To date, it has attracted 26 billion KRW in institutional investment. Galaxy aims not only to change the paradigm of new drug development, which requires astronomical costs and long periods, based on its unique AI new drug design solution that incorporates natural scientific principles governing molecular properties, but also to create new value by developing treatments for intractable diseases.
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