PRGS&Tech, Pusan National University Holdings Subsidiary, Advances to Global XPRIZE Semifinals and Publishes in International Journal

Expectations for Next-Generation Aging Treatment Solutions
Publication of ALS New Drug Research in International Journal
Emerging as a Leading Company in Rare Disease Therapeutics

Pusan National University (President Choi Jaewon) announced on May 27 that its subsidiary, PRGS&Tech Co., Ltd. (CEO Park Beomjun), a company specializing in therapeutics for rare diseases, has demonstrated its advanced technological capabilities both domestically and internationally. The company advanced to the semifinals of the world’s largest anti-aging technology competition, ‘XPRIZE Healthspan,’ and published research results on a new drug candidate for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in an international academic journal.

PRGS&Tech succeeded in reaching the semifinals of the ‘XPRIZE Healthspan’ competition, organized by the U.S.-based XPRIZE Foundation, with its anti-aging program ‘RPRGAON-PROGERIA.’ The company was selected as a ‘Milestone 1 Winner,’ a distinction given to the top 40 teams among more than 600 global participants, and received a prize of $250,000 (approximately 350 million KRW).

‘RPRGAON-PROGERIA’ is a next-generation aging treatment solution that controls complex aging mechanisms such as nuclear membrane damage and reduced skin regeneration. It is based on the small molecule compound ‘Progerinin,’ which inhibits the pathological accumulation of the aging-inducing protein ‘Progerin.’

This technology is currently undergoing Phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) in the United States, supported by the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF). An accelerated approval application is also planned within the year, raising expectations for a full-scale entry into the global market.

Additionally, PRGS&Tech published research results on its ALS new drug candidate ‘Amisodin,’ jointly developed with Pusan National University, in the May 2025 issue of the renowned neuroscience journal ‘Translational Neurodegeneration.’ The study has drawn significant attention from the academic community by presenting a novel therapeutic mechanism that fundamentally blocks neuronal cell death by inhibiting the abnormal trimer formation of the SOD1 protein, a major cause of ALS onset.

‘Amisodin’ is also expected to be effective against TDP-43 protein-related neurodegenerative diseases, and is being evaluated as a new drug candidate with potential for expanded indications to Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Preclinical toxicity testing has been completed, and in April, the company submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. FDA for a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy adults.

Through its ‘indication expansion strategy,’ which applies a single drug candidate to multiple diseases, PRGS&Tech is rapidly building global competitiveness in the field of therapeutics for rare diseases and aging by simultaneously securing technological and clinical value.

Park Beomjun, CEO (Professor of Molecular Biology at Pusan National University), stated, “This achievement once again demonstrates the potential of Korean biotechnology to enter the global market. We are determined to establish ourselves as a leading company in the global rare disease therapeutics market through science-based therapeutic innovation.”