SK Biopharmaceuticals announced on the 3rd that it has selected two promising startups in the central nervous system (CNS) field through an open innovation program with Seoul Bio Hub and held a signing ceremony.

This program was established to strengthen the research and development capabilities of domestic startups based on SK Biopharmaceuticals’ full life cycle experience in global new drug development. It represents the first tangible outcome of an agreement signed by the two sides in November last year.

The selected companies are Novorex and Three Brooks Therapeutics, which are respectively focusing on developing treatments for degenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Novorex is pursuing the development of an LRRK2 inhibitor, a major target for Parkinson’s disease, by utilizing AI-based structural analysis technology. SK Biopharmaceuticals plans to support the company in enhancing its competitiveness from the preclinical stage by incorporating its global clinical trial design expertise.

Three Brooks Therapeutics is approaching the treatment of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease by removing intracellular waste through an autophagy activation mechanism. As this is linked to the neuro-immune field that SK Biopharmaceuticals is strategically fostering, it is expected to generate synergy.

The selected companies will receive support from SK Biopharmaceuticals researchers over the next year across the entire new drug development process, including proof of concept (PoC), clinical entry strategies, and responses to global regulatory requirements.

The two parties plan to open a cooperation center within Seoul Bio Hub to strengthen practical collaboration and explore the discovery of additional startups and further partnership opportunities.

SK Biopharmaceuticals intends to expand support so that domestic biotech startups can acquire competitiveness that meets global standards, drawing on the experience accumulated through the development of the epilepsy treatment cenobamate (U.S. brand name Xcopri).

Lee Dong-hoon, CEO of SK Biopharmaceuticals, said, “This open innovation initiative is a strategic collaboration to share our full life cycle new drug development know-how with startups,” adding, “We will simultaneously pursue the establishment of a next-generation innovative drug pipeline and the strengthening of global competitiveness.”

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