SK Biopharm, which developed the epilepsy drug 'cenobamate,' is entering the digital healthcare market through the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that detects and prevents epilepsy early. The strategy is to take responsibility for the entire cycle from prediction to diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy.
On Jan. 13 (local time), SK Biopharm announced that it would begin commercializing its AI-based epilepsy management platform at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM) held in San Francisco, USA.
Epilepsy is a disease that causes muscle spasms due to an explosive surge of electrical signals from damaged brain cells. If not treated in time during an acute seizure, it can lead to death. SK Biopharm believes that quickly confirming seizures in epilepsy patients will allow for immediate prescription even during acute seizures.
The AI epilepsy management platform Zero, currently under development by the company, is a system that measures patients' brain waves using wearable devices to monitor the occurrence of epilepsy seizures in real-time. By linking with a mobile app to share data with medical personnel, it enables the prediction and diagnosis of epilepsy to help provide optimal treatment for patients.
CEO Lee Dong-hoon of SK Biopharm held a meeting on this day and said, "SK Biopharm has accumulated a lot of data on brain wave measurements since the launch of cenobamate," adding, "By integrating patient data with AI, we aim to develop a platform that predicts epilepsy seizures and fully enter the digital healthcare market." The company aims to launch the product within five years.
To this end, SK Biopharm plans to establish a joint venture (JV) with Eurofarma, the largest pharmaceutical corporation in South America with extensive experience in digital healthcare. It has secured funding for development and operation for at least three years.
Eurofarma is a major pharmaceutical company in Latin America and has invested both directly and indirectly in various digital healthcare projects over the years. In this new venture, it will support strategy development and the acquisition of AI training data, ensuring successful establishment in the North American market. Eurofarma has been collaborating with SK Biopharm since 2022 for the launch of cenobamate in the Latin American region.
The new platform being developed by both companies will enhance the technology of the AI epilepsy management platform Zero, while also utilizing the AI drug research and development platform Hubble Plus. Hubble Plus continues to innovate to improve research efficiency in SK Biopharm's new R&D modalities in Radiopharmaceuticals (RPT) and Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD).
Both companies plan to target the North American market through the establishment of the JV. According to SK Biopharm, the remote epilepsy treatment market, which is the main business of this JV, is expected to grow to $1.8 billion (2.63 trillion won) by 2032. North America represents the largest single market, accounting for about 47% of the global market.
The CEO asserted, "There are currently no competitors in remote epilepsy treatment," and added, "If we succeed in developing the platform, we will be the world's first." He noted, "While it is not easy for a simple pharmaceutical company to develop an AI platform, we can perform algorithm analysis with the data accumulated so far," and stated, "We will also receive help from SK Telecom, a telecommunications affiliate of the SK Group."
On this day, the CEO also explained the achievements of cenobamate, stating, "Xcopri (the U.S. product name for cenobamate) is on its way to becoming a blockbuster (a large drug with annual sales exceeding $1 billion)," and noted that achieving this goal is aimed for by 2029.
The company is also developing next-generation modalities, including Radiopharmaceuticals (RPT), Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD), and Cell Therapy (CGT). An AI drug development platform called Hubble Plus has been established for research in these modalities.
In August of last year, the company secured a contract to supply high-purity actinium (Ac)-225 with Terrapower, a small modular reactor (SMR) company. This contract was led by Choi Yoon-jung, the Deputy Minister and eldest daughter of Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group. The Deputy Minister was also appointed to the newly created 'Growth Support' position at SK Holdings last month to explore future growth businesses for the SK Group.
The Deputy Minister also attended this JPM. According to SK Biopharm officials, the Deputy Minister personally handled about 7 to 8 business meetings per day, leading the global expansion of SK Biopharm. It is expected that based on her bio business experience, she will focus on finding future growth opportunities for the group.