South Korea’s SK Chemicals has been expanding its alliance with local AI-based drug discovery startups under an open innovation model designed to shorten the development time of novel therapies and reduce failure rates.

In addition to its current partners such as Standigm, Deargen, and Dr. NOAH, SK Chemicals Monday announced it signed an agreement for joint R&D with another AI-based drug developer CIMPLRX.

SK Chemicals started joint research with Standigm in 2019. As the result of their first joint research, the two companies applied for a patent for a drug candidate to treat rheumatoid arthritis earlier this year. Since July, they have been conducting joint clinical trials for an investigational non-alcoholic hepatosteatosis (NASH) drug through Standigm’s new drug AI platform.

Standigm opened a synthesis laboratory at SK Chemicals’ headquarters building early this month. The two companies aim to accomplish vertical integration from design to synthesis of promising compounds, enabling efficient joint research for drug development. Standigm can access equipment and facilities owned by SK Chemicals through the lab.

The goal is to shorten the discovery period for a promising drug candidate from 2 to 3 years to 7 months through the AI platform, Kim Han-ho, head of Standigm’s synthesis lab told Maeil Business Newspaper in a recent interview.

Kim said the two companies expect to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial of the NASH drug after next year, and an out licensing deal in 2023. Standigm is currently studying 42 new drug compounds.

SK Chemicals` latest partner CIMPLRX plans to discover a new structure drug for target proteins. Under their partnership agreement, CIMPLRX is responsible for drug discovery and SK Chemicals for verification and commercialization. The intellectual property rights over the developed drug will be jointly owned by the two, and licensing will belong exclusively to SK Chemicals.

By Yoo Joo-yeon, Jeong Hui-yeong and Minu Kim

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