Chong Kun Dang is focusing on a multi-target protein engineering technology that a U.S. biotech company is using to develop next-generation treatments for autoimmune diseases.

On the 20th (local time), Chong Kun Dang held the “2026 CKD Pharm Golden Ticket” (hereinafter Golden Ticket) at the LabCentral center in Boston, United States, and selected local biotech company Arpelos Biosciences as the final Golden Ticket winner. The event was attended by key stakeholders including Kim Jae-soon, Vice President and Head of New Drug Business Development at Chong Kun Dang, Kim Ho-won, Head of CKD USA, Chong Kun Dang’s U.S. subsidiary, Boston Consul General Kim Jae-hwi, and Kim Hyun-chul, Head of the U.S. office of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.

The Golden Ticket is a sponsorship program hosted by Chong Kun Dang in collaboration with LabCentral, a core institution of the Boston–Cambridge biocluster. It supports the growth of promising biotech startups by selecting them and providing assistance. Specifically, Golden Ticket awardees receive the opportunity to be based at LabCentral, as well as various forms of support for building global networks and pursuing strategic collaborations. LabCentral is the world’s largest non-profit incubation facility for startups in the biotech and life sciences fields. It provides shared laboratories, advanced equipment, administrative infrastructure, and networking programs so that early-stage biotechs can immediately start research without large-scale investment. The state government of Massachusetts is responsible for its operation and management. To date, it is reported to have supported more than 344 early-stage biotechs based on cumulative investment attraction of about KRW 33 trillion, resulting in a total of 1,846 patents and 171 clinical trials.

Tenancy at LabCentral is subscription-based, with fees charged per employee per month. Under the membership system, the basic fee per person is USD 425 per month (about KRW 640,000), each lab bench costs USD 3,000–4,600 per month (about KRW 4.52–6.93 million), and additional office space costs USD 1,000–6,000 per month (about KRW 1.51–9.04 million). If a one-person startup subscribes to one lab bench, the annual cost is about KRW 56–80 million, while a small team of two to three people is known to incur about KRW 130–190 million per year. Arpelos, selected as this year’s Golden Ticket company, is an early-stage biotech founded in 2024. It is based in Kendall Square in the United States. The company is reported to possess core technologies in AI-based protein engineering, T cell biology, and multi-target therapeutics. AI protein engineering technology does not use proteins as they occur in nature, but instead custom-designs or modifies them using AI so that they perform specific desired functions. Its multi-target therapeutic technology is cited as Arpelos’s key strength. Rather than blocking a single disease-causing protein, it is based on protein combinations that simultaneously bind to two or more targets. Using this technology, Arpelos aims to develop next-generation treatments for autoimmune diseases.

A Chong Kun Dang representative stated, “The Golden Ticket is an important channel for proactively identifying promising biotechs in Boston, the global hub of open innovation,” adding, “Going forward, Chong Kun Dang will continue to expand its network with global pharmaceutical companies and startups centered on CKD USA and focus its capabilities on generating tangible collaboration outcomes such as joint research and development.”

This year’s Golden Ticket attracted applications from about 50 innovative biotech startups in diverse fields, including immunology and neuroscience, oncology and cancer immunotherapy, ophthalmic diseases, and AI-based research platforms. The judging panel consisted of Professor Park Jin-mo of Harvard University, Professor Kim Young-beom, and Dr. Debra Peattie. Three Boston-based biotech startups were selected as final candidates and competed by presenting their research achievements and technological capabilities.

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