Pharos iBio Selected for National AI Drug Development Project

Pharos iBio has been selected, together with Jactus Onco, for the artificial intelligence (AI)-based candidate discovery division of the '2026 Pharmaceutical & Bio Venture Collaboration-Based Technology Development Project.'

According to Pharos iBio on August 6, the company has continued to advance its proprietary AI drug discovery platform 'Chemiverse.' Utilizing this platform, Pharos iBio has accumulated in-house drug development capabilities, having completed phase 1 clinical trials for lasmotinib (PHI-101) and successfully initiated phase 1 clinical trials for PHI-501.

Pharos iBio and Jactus Onco will conduct joint research for 24 months, aiming to discover candidate compounds for IRP2 (iron regulatory protein 2) inhibitors by leveraging AI. The total research funding amounts to 1 billion won, and as a joint research institution, Pharos iBio will receive 400 million won. Through this collaboration, the two companies plan to secure first-in-class small molecule targeted anticancer agents as preclinical candidate compounds.

Pharos iBio will use its Chemiverse platform to oversee candidate compound design and optimization, while Jactus Onco will synthesize compounds, conduct biological validation, and perform preclinical research to select candidate compounds for its proprietary IRP2 inhibitor.

IRP2 is a core protein that regulates the amount of iron required for the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. Unlike conventional iron metabolism-based therapeutics that reduce total body iron, this research targets IRP2, which is highly active in cancer cells, to selectively regulate iron levels. This new therapeutic approach is expected to minimize the impact of iron on normal cells while more effectively inhibiting the growth of cancer cells.

During the course of the project, the two companies will prioritize colorectal cancer as the primary indication for candidate development and plan to consider expanding the application to major solid tumors such as lung cancer and breast cancer in the future.

Jung Hyuk Yoon, CEO of Pharos iBio, stated, "Based on the internal capabilities we have accumulated so far, we are expanding our open innovation strategy by connecting the innovative technologies of leading domestic research institutions and biotech ventures to our AI platform." He added, "This project's selection is a significant example demonstrating that the Chemiverse platform can be utilized not only for candidate discovery, but also in a wide range of new targets and research fields."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.