SK biopharmaceuticals has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MOU) with AI company PhnyX Lab to build an AI-based drug discovery system. The signing ceremony was held on Tuesday, local time, at SK biopharmaceuticals' exhibition booth at BIO USA 2025 in Boston.

Under the agreement, the two companies will jointly develop customized solutions based on PhnyX Lab's generative AI solution “Cheiron” to automate tasks, including literature search, data analysis, and documentation required in the drug development process. SK biopharmaceuticals plans to accelerate AI Transformation, which is the AI-based advancement of the drug development process. It will focus on automating tasks such as creating approval documents required during the clinical entry stage. This will likely help SK biopharmaceuticals maximize R&D productivity and dramatically reduce the time and cost of development and approval.

Cheiron is a solution that enables automation of the entire process, from literature research to report writing, by integrating and analyzing internal and external academic data. It is also specialized for the pharmaceutical and bio-industry, utilizing official databases of major regulatory agencies, including the U.S. FDA and the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), as well as Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) to improve accuracy and effectiveness.SK biopharmaceuticals has actively used AI in the early stages of new drug development, such as analyzing disease-causing genes and proteins and discovering candidate substances, using its AI platform, HUBLETM. Through this collaboration, the company plans to expand the scope of AI use and develop it into a solution to maximize productivity across the workplace.

“The pharmaceutical and bio industry is a difficult field for digital transformation due to its complex work structure and high regulations,” PhnyX Lab CEO Bae Min-seok said. “This agreement will prove that generative AI solutions can be applied in the real world to increase work efficiency and precision in the pharmaceutical industry.”

SK biopharmaceuticals CEO Lee Dong-hoon said, “AI is no longer an option for drug development but a core competency. By collaborating with PhnyX Lab, we will strengthen the application of AI throughout the drug development process and enhance our competitiveness in the global market.”