LG Chem Advances Drug Development with AI, Expands Use to Patient Selection

First AI Bio Conference Held with LG AI Research Institute and Flagship Pioneering
Developing Personalized mRNA Cancer Vaccines; Aiming to Enter Clinical Development in 2029

LG Chem is using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance decision-making across the drug development process, from identifying drug candidates to selecting patients for clinical trials.

LG Chem said on October 21 that it had held the 2026 LG AI Bio Conference with the LG AI Research Institute and U.S. biotech venture capital firm Flagship Pioneering at LG Sciencepark in Gangseo-gu, Seoul.

LG Chem President Son Jiwoong delivers a keynote address at the LG AI Bio Conference on the 20th. LG Chem

The event was organized for the first time to foster South Korea's AI biotech innovation ecosystem and expand global collaboration. Around 140 attendees from AI biotech companies in South Korea and abroad discussed AI-based drug development strategies and directions for industry innovation.

LG Chem plans to use AI in precision oncology to improve clinical trial patient selection and treatment planning. Its strategy is to identify biomarkers that reflect the biological characteristics of tumors and select patients expected to respond well to treatment, thereby increasing the likelihood of clinical trial success.

In his opening remarks, Son Jiwoong, head of LG Chem's Life Sciences Company, said, "AI is evolving from a tool for drug development into a core engine that determines competitiveness. The future of drug development will be defined not only by finding the right drug, but also by using AI to identify patients who are likely to achieve better treatment outcomes."

LG Chem is building and refining an AI model to predict patient-specific neoantigens for the development of personalized messenger RNA (mRNA) cancer vaccines. Neoantigens are antigens produced by cancer cells that can trigger an immune response.

The company aims to complete preclinical studies in 2027 and enter full-scale clinical development in 2029. It plans to strengthen its competitiveness in personalized cancer treatment by using AI to identify treatment targets for individual patients.

The event also featured examples of how global biotech companies are using AI. Andre Andonian, chair of Asia Pacific at Flagship Pioneering, said the firm was expanding its collaboration with LG Chem in the life sciences field using AI.

Joo Wang, global head of business development at Insilico Medicine, presented a case in which a candidate identified using generative AI had entered the clinical stage. Ryan Leung, head of life sciences products at Lila Sciences, presented the concept of an autonomous laboratory that repeatedly carries out design, synthesis, experimentation, and learning.

During a panel discussion, InnoKras presented an approach to selecting patient groups using whole-genome cancer data, while Portrai presented strategies for identifying biomarkers and selecting patients using AI technology based on spatial biology.

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