On the 27th, independent research firm Value Finder positively evaluated THE E&M, citing development momentum for antiviral therapeutics based on peptide technology at its subsidiary Luca AI Cell. The firm explained that Luca AI Cell had already signed a non-clinical evaluation contract with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the joint development of a universal antiviral drug, thereby receiving official recognition for its technological capabilities.
Established in 2002, THE E&M operates a broadcasting platform with more than 3.5 million cumulative subscribers and was listed on the KOSDAQ market in 2006. Through its subsidiary CL&Company, it is engaged in entertainment management and MCN (multi-channel network) businesses.
In 2022, a consortium including THE E&M was selected as the preferred bidder for the development project of the Cheongna Video Cultural Complex. The total project cost is expected to reach 1.7897 trillion won, and the project will include the construction of video production facilities and cultural attraction facilities. The consortium including the company will serve as the project developer, while Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Kumho Construction are scheduled to be responsible for construction.
The company is currently forming strategic partnerships with global media companies and studios, and is now only awaiting approval from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. If approval is granted within the first quarter of this year, construction is expected to begin within the year, suggesting a full-fledged push for the project and raising expectations for related benefits.
In addition, subsidiary Luca AI Cell is a company developing antiviral therapeutics based on peptide technology that selectively destroys lipid membranes. By directly destroying the lipid membrane of viruses, its drugs are expected to demonstrate broad-spectrum efficacy regardless of virus type, which the firm says clearly differentiates them from existing mechanisms of action.
Lee Chungheon, a researcher at Value Finder, analyzed, "Luca AI Cell has signed a non-clinical evaluation contract with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and this contract is a program that supports development costs from preclinical studies through Phase 1 clinical trials," adding, "Based on validation from a global public institution, Luca AI Cell has secured technological competitiveness, and we expect growing interest in its future clinical results."
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