LG Chem said on the 18th it will develop anticancer drugs using artificial intelligence (AI). Antibodies that target cancer cells have complex protein structures, so it takes more than five years to find the most suitable candidates. The company plans to shorten this period with AI and move up the timeline for entering clinical trials.
LG Chem signed a joint research agreement with the U.K. corporations LabGenius Therapeutics to that end. LG Chem will pay LabGenius an upfront fee and research funding. After reviewing the research results, it will decide whether to enter into a license-in (technology introduction) agreement for the antibody candidates.
In the past, people repeatedly designed antibodies by hand and analyzed experimental results. The two companies decided to shorten this period with AI and robotic experiments. Through this, they aim to discover new drug candidates with strong efficacy and low toxicity.
So Jin-eon, head of research and development for life sciences at LG Chem, said, "In an automated laboratory, we can quickly perform candidate discovery and early evaluations." LG Chem plans to expand the use of AI in clinical, manufacturing, and process areas.