│Photo courtesy of Kakao Brain
Kakao Brain (CEO Kim Il-du) announced on the 11th that it signed a five-year joint research and development agreement with Galaxy (CEO Seok Cha-ok) to build an AI-based antibody new drug design platform.
AI-based antibody new drug design technology is a field where global competition is fierce, and is called a ‘dream new technology’ that will change the paradigm of new drug development in that it can be applied to conquer various incurable diseases. Through this joint research, Kakao Brain and Galaxy plan to develop the world’s best ‘AI-based antibody drug design platform’ that will serve as a foundation for quickly discovering new antibody treatments that do not exist in the world.
Based on Kakao Brain’s ultra-large AI technology development know-how and Galaxy’s protein design technology know-how, the two companies will conduct a joint research period of 5 years: ▲prediction of antigen-antibody binding structure and binding force, which is the base technology, ▲antibody design using the base technology, and ▲design technology. It goes through an experimental verification process.
Established in 2020, Galaxy is an AI-based new drug developer that is leading innovation in new drug development based on in silico molecular design technology accumulated at Seoul National University for more than 15 years. In particular, with its own in silico technology, it has proven its technology several times in global prediction competitions such as CASP, the international protein structure prediction competition, and CAPRI, the international protein interaction prediction competition.
Galaxy closed its Series A round worth 19 billion won on July 6. Last December, Kakao Brain invested 5 billion won, equivalent to more than a quarter of its Series A investment, in Galaxy to quickly enter and settle into the global AI new drug development market.
Meanwhile, Kakao Brain formed an AI new drug development team last year by recruiting Dr. Lee Yu-han, a Kaggle grandmaster and graduate of the Department of Biochemical Engineering at KAIST, and a number of researchers with experience in in silico material development and AI development joined the team. Led by team leader Lee Yu-han, who is in charge of research and development of super-large AI new drug development algorithms, Kakao Brain plans to work closely with Galaxy and lead the field of global AI-based new drug design.
Kim Il-du, CEO of Kakao Brain, said, “We hope to innovate the global in silico new drug development market based on our AI capabilities,” and added, “Using this joint research as a stepping stone, we will maximize synergy with Galaxy and compete in the global medical market where timeliness is the key.” “We will achieve joint growth to exert greater social influence,” he said.
Source: Pangyo Techno Valley Official Newsroom
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