JW Pharmaceutical said it has entered into a joint research agreement with Oncocross, an artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery venture, to develop innovative first-in-class drugs using AI.

Under the accord, the two companies will leverage AI to identify new target diseases and validate development possibilities for JW Pharmaceutical's existing oncology and regenerative medicine drug pipeline.

The collaboration will utilize Oncocross's RAPTOR AI platform, an AI-based drug development tool designed to screen for optimal indications for new or existing drugs. This platform aims to deliver high-accuracy results more swiftly and cost-effectively compared to traditional drug discovery methods.

The partnership follows a previous cooperation between the two companies in 2022, where they embarked on a collaborative research project focused on expanding the indications for JW Pharmaceutical's immunotherapy candidates.

As positive data from this research has guided the company's subsequent development plans, JW Pharmaceutical aims to apply the technological capabilities of RAPTOR AI to other oncology and regenerative medicine candidates.

JW Pharmaceutical said that the goal is to shorten the time required to explore new indications and increase the likelihood of clinical success.

"This contract is significant as it acknowledges the utility and commercial value of RAPTOR AI," Oncocross CEO Kim Yi-rang said. "We will strive to make this research a model example of collaboration between major pharmaceutical and biotech firms in AI-driven innovative drug development."

JW Pharmaceutical CTO Park Chan-hee said, "The development of innovative drugs, which JW focuses on, requires high R&D capabilities, high costs, and time for discovering new drug candidates and expanding their indications."

Park added that JW would continue to expand its innovative drug pipeline through multifaceted research collaborations with domestic and international biotech companies possessing new technologies.