[by Kang, In Hyo] SPIDERCORE is a startup specializing in artificial intelligence (바카라사이트 목록)-based gene therapy and new drug development, founded in 2020. The company was established by CEO Lee Kiwon, who became passionate about 바카라사이트 목록 during his studies at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (K바카라사이트 목록ST), along with director Kang Min-geun and two lab colleagues.
“Digital transformation driven by AI is undeniably a permanent trend in our era,” stated Lee. “I pondered extensively on the sectors where AI could make the most profound impact on humanity and bring about significant change, and I concluded that ‘new drug development’ was the answer,” Lee further said, explaining the motivation behind his startup.
THE BIO had a conversation with CEO Lee Kiwon to delve into Spidercore’s competitiveness in using AI for gene therapy development—a frontier in medicine that remains highly challenging—along with discussing the company’s goals for this year and its future aspirations.
In a recent interview with <THE BIO>, Lee stated, “Gene therapy, which has the potential to fundamentally treat diseases, offers immense growth potential and influence if successfully developed. However, a more cautious approach is necessary in gene therapy compared to other therapies to ensure safety and effectiveness. This requires experimentally verifying a vast number of gene combinations.”
“Identifying the optimal gene therapy combination is crucial for the beginning of new drug development and a key determinant of its success. Consequently, many biotech companies invest significant resources and time in this area,” Lee further elaborated. “Using AI can unlock numerous possibilities, from discovery to the development of gene therapy candidates. This motivated me to establish an AI-based new drug development company for gene therapy.”
Lee expl바카라사이트 목록ned that gene therapy drugs, being polymers, have molecular weights 20 to 400 times larger than low-molecular compounds, from the perspective of drug design, making it much more challenging. Unlike small molecule compounds that target proteins, gene therapy targets the DNA or RNA that produces proteins, employing genetic manipulation to control mRNA and inhibit disease-causing proteins.
To date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved five types of RNA therapeutics, and the development of mRNA therapeutics is expected to grow even more following the success of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. However, RNA therapeutics face commercialization challenges due to 'off-target' effects (unintended non-specific gene binding reactions) and issues with the drug delivery system. These challenges can result in the creation of incorrect proteins due to off-target effects or the f바카라사이트 목록lure of the drug to reach its intended cells. Such difficulties are often cited as limitations in the development of gene therapy.
Spidercore has developed ‘S.Core’, an AI platform capable of consistently designing RNA therapeutics without side effects, ensuring high delivery rates, and demonstrating excellent validation efficiency. S.Core uses a graph AI algorithm to explore a vas gene sequence database (DB) to search for gene sequences that offer optimal treatment effectiveness and safety for new drug candidates. Additionally, Lee highlights that S.Core includes a feature for optimizing chemical combinations, enhancing both the safety and efficacy of drugs further.
A paper on this platform technology was recently published in the prestigious academic journal ‘Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids’. Moreover, their mRNA structure prediction technology will be presented at the ‘ICML (International Conference on Machine Learning)’, the world’s most authoritative AI conference. Lee emphasized the validation of Spidercore's AI technology through these recognitions.
“Spidercore was founded by AI experts, its core mission is developing new drugs using AI,” expressed Lee. “AI is a powerful tool we use to discover new drug candidates for gene therapy, which is the essence of our company,” he added.
“We are fostering ongoing collaboration through joint research efforts, engaging in open collaboration with both Korean and international pharmaceutical companies and biotech companies,” Lee continued. “To begin full-scale development of new drugs using AI, we have been steadily recruiting bio experts since last. By forming a dedicated biotechnology team this year, we have successfully built a team centered on two core areas: AI and biotechnology.”
This year, Spidercore will begin full-scale verification of prominent RNA new drug candidates discovered through its S.Core platform, using the mRNA structure prediction technology refined over the past three years. “So far, we have completed proof-of-concept (PoC) through in vitro experiments for the RNA treatment candidates we are developing,” Lee stated. “In the second half of the year, we plan to conduct in vivo animal testing to biologically verify the effectiveness of the candidates.”
The new drug candidate that Spidercore 바카라사이트 목록ms to validate through animal testing is a gene therapy targeting solid cancer. Industrially, Lee expl바카라사이트 목록ned that using the S.Core platform, the drug effectiveness of a pipeline developed by a Korean bio venture has been improved by 50%, and cytotoxicity has also been improved by 80%. The verification of these improvements was published in the previously mentioned journal, Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids.
“Since animal testing is costly, we are considering a Series A investment round,” Lee further commented. “We aim to raise at least KRW 5 billion (approximately USD 3.6 million) and close the round by the end of the year.”
Lee describes Spidercore as a ‘pioneer’ in new gene therapy development, noting, “There are no similar companies in Korea, and internationally, companies comparable to us are Creyon Bio in the U.S. and Eleven Therapeutics in Israel.” He continued, “While these two companies are founded on biotechnology expertise, Spidercore stands out as it is built AI technology.”
Spidercore will begin entering the global market in earnest this year. The company will attend the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) from May 31 to June 4 (local time) at the McCormick Place event hall in Chicago, USA. Following this, they will participate in the ‘Bio International Convention 2024 (BIO USA)’ in San Diego, California, from June 3 to 6.
“At BIO 2024, we will be meeting with top-tier companies developing global RNA therapeutics. Last year, we received great interest from a major global pharmaceutical company, and we plan to continue discussions about potential business collaborations this year,” Lee expressed.
Lastly, Lee emphasized the importance of open collaboration for successfully developing AI-driven gene therapy, which is a challenging field. He explained that Spidercore’s mission involves building a collaborative network akin to a ‘spider web,’ connecting pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, hardware companies, hospitals, and researchers, all focused on AI technology.
“Spidercore alone cannot develop a gene therapy that meets FDA standards,” Lee noted. “Our ultimate goal is to develop gene treatments through collaboration with Korean and international pharmaceutical and biotech companies, leveraging our superior AI technology. I want to contribute to increasing the value of humanity by creating AI-based novel drugs, integrating AI, biotech, capital, and technology effectively.”
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Key biographies of Spidercore CEO Lee Kiwon
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