Medical artificial intelligence (AI) corporations Lunit said on the 22nd that it will jointly develop an AI-based companion diagnostics (CDx) solution used in new drug development with U.S. California biotechnology company Agilent Technologies. Companion diagnostics are tests that determine in advance whether a specific drug, such as an anticancer drug or a targeted therapy, will be effective for a patient or carry a high risk of side effects.
Agilent provides various analytical solutions that pharmaceutical and biotech corporations use in the new drug development process. Last year's annual revenue was $6.5 billion (about 9 trillion won).
The two companies aim to combine Lunit's AI technology and Agilent's tissue-based diagnostic capabilities to jointly develop and successfully launch a biomarker analysis solution essential for new drug development. In the early phase of the collaboration, the two sides will focus on developing AI solutions to be used in clinical trials, and in the mid to long term they plan to obtain companion diagnostics approvals in tandem with global pharmaceutical companies' anticancer drug development.
Seo Beom-seok, Lunit's chief executive, said, "If Agilent's global diagnostics platform is combined with Lunit's validated AI pathology analysis technology, pharmaceutical companies will be able to bring new drugs to market far more accurately and quickly than before."
Nina Green, head of Agilent's clinical diagnostics business, said, "By collaborating with Lunit, we will develop more innovative AI-based companion diagnostics solutions and use them as a driving force for the global spread of precision medicine."