LG AI Research and D&D Pharmatech Partner to Advance AI-Powered Next-Generation Peptide Drug Discovery
LG AI Research signed a definitive agreement with D&D Pharmatech on June 16 at the LG Twin Towers in Yeouido, Seoul, to jointly develop next-generation peptide therapeutics. The signing ceremony was attended by key executives from both organizations, including Woohyung Lim (Head of LG AI Research), Hwayoung Lee (Lead of AI Biz. Transformation Unit), and Jongseong Jang (Lead of Bio Intelligence Lab) from LG AI Research, as well as Seulki Lee (CEO) and Sunghoon Hong (CFO) from D&D Pharmatech.
Image 1. LG AI Research Head Woohyung Lim and D&D Pharmatech CEO Seulki Lee at the definitive agreement signing ceremony
Peptides are biologically active molecules composed of short chains of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. They play a critical role in regulating the body's recovery and growth processes. One of their key advantages is their favorable safety profile, as engineered peptides can selectively target intracellular therapeutic targets that are often inaccessible to antibody therapeutics. However, conventional peptides are readily degraded by digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, which has historically limited their development primarily to injectable formulations.
Under this agreement, the two companies will collaborate to develop innovative therapeutics for hard-to-treat diseases and precision medicine, leveraging AI-driven drug discovery and oral delivery technologies.
The companies also expect AI-driven molecular design to significantly reduce development timelines and costs while improving the probability of clinical success for novel peptide therapeutics.
■ LG AI Research Designs Drug Candidates Using AI; D&D Pharmatech Leads Validation and Clinical Development
By combining advanced AI capabilities with expertise in peptide drug discovery, the two companies aim to develop next-generation peptide therapeutics.
Image 2. Collaboration Plan Between the Two Companies
LG AI Research will focus on developing AI models that analyze the structures of therapeutic targets. These AI models will identify and design optimal peptide sequences that are difficult to discover using conventional approaches, ultimately generating promising drug candidates.
D&D Pharmatech will handle the design, synthesis, and evaluation of AI-generated candidates. Leveraging its proprietary peptide engineering and molecular optimization technologies, the company will lead oral peptide formulation development, preclinical and clinical studies, and global regulatory approval processes.
Notably, the partnership establishes a closed-loop drug discovery framework in which candidate substances designed by LG AI Research’s AI are validated by D&D Pharmatech, with the resulting data continuously fed back into the AI models to optimize the model’s performance.
■ LG Advances AI Innovation Across Healthcare: From Drug Discovery to Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Recommendations
LG AI Research has continuously developed innovative technologies at the intersection of AI and biotechnology to discover and advance new treatments for a wide range of diseases.
A prime example is the “Cancer Agentic AI”, a personalized precision medicine AI platform currently being developed in collaboration with Professor Tae-Hyun Hwang at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The platform serves as a comprehensive decision-support system for healthcare professionals, assisting with everything from tumor tissue analysis to treatment strategy development.
In clinical settings, it has the potential to dramatically reduce the time required for tissue analysis—from more than two weeks to near real-time insights—supporting faster clinical decision-making and treatment planning. In the pharmaceutical industry, it could significantly reduce the duration and cost of clinical trials.
In addition, LG AI Research has patented and deployed EXAONE Discovery, an AI-powered platform for novel materials discovery. EXAONE Discovery features an “AI Co-Scientist” system that collaborates with researchers through natural-language interaction, helping design experiments and predict outcomes. This enables researchers to identify promising candidate materials at a significantly faster pace than conventional approaches.
Driven by a commitment to open innovation, LG AI Research will continue advancing the convergence of AI and biotechnology, developing transformative technologies that improve patient outcomes and shape the future of healthcare.