Chong Kun Dang has established a subsidiary specializing in new drug development.

On the 22nd, Chong Kun Dang announced that it had established a new drug development company, 'Archela', and held a founding ceremony.

The company name Archela is a compound word combining the ancient Greek word 'Arche', which means beginning, origin, and principle, with the suffix '-la', symbolizing life, harmony, and expansion. It is introduced as meaning life blossoming from the origin and harmonious growth expanding from the foundation. A Chong Kun Dang representative explained, “It demonstrates the commitment to contribute to a healthy life through pharmaceutical technology innovation, from prevention to treatment, for all humanity, while practicing Chong Kun Dang's mission to leap forward as a global new drug development company.”

Chong Kun Dang's subsidiary Archela will operate as an 'NRDO (No Research Development Only)' specialized company focusing solely on development. Specifically, it will be responsible for discovering new pipelines, conducting clinical trials, technology export, and commercialization, with an emphasis on new drug development. The company plans to secure innovative pipelines as future growth engines through a 'selection and concentration' strategy. As part of this, it plans to concentrate its core capabilities on three pipelines: CETP inhibitor 'CKD-508', GLP-1 agonist 'CKD-514', and histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) inhibitor 'CKD-513'.

CKD-508 is a treatment for dyslipidemia utilizing the CETP inhibition mechanism. Its efficacy and safety were confirmed in a Phase 1 clinical trial in the UK with healthy adults. Last year, it received approval for a Phase 1 clinical trial from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). CKD-514 is an orally administered GLP-1 agonist expected to provide an innovative treatment option in the fields of obesity and diabetes. CKD-513 is an HDAC6 inhibitor capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a candidate substance with potential as a treatment for intractable neurological diseases.

Dr. Lee Ju-hee, who hails from the Chong Kun Dang Research Institute, has been appointed as the CEO of the new company. Dr. Lee obtained a Ph.D. from Seoul National University and completed postdoctoral training at the Samsung Cancer Research Institute at Seoul National University College of Medicine and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York before joining Chong Kun Dang.

Lee Ju-hee, CEO of Chong Kun Dang Archela, stated, “The founding of Archela marks a new turning point in Chong Kun Dang's new drug development and an opportunity to secure mid- to long-term growth engines,” adding, “We will focus on developing Chong Kun Dang's core pipelines to enhance the efficiency of new drug development and expand the potential for entering the global market.”

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