HLB Science jumps into microbiome biz with NodCure

HLB Science, which is developing a next-generation sepsis treatment, said on Friday that it signed a research agreement with NodCure, a company that has the technology to develop microbiome-based therapeutics for metabolic and immune diseases.

Through this agreement, HLB Science will conduct joint research with NodCure in the field of microbiome and examine the scalability of its drug pipeline based on this technology.

NodCure is a company that researches microbiome-based drug materials to develop next-generation biopharmaceutical treatments. Accordingly, the company is researching to develop treatments for cancer, infectious diseases, and metabolic and immune diseases.

Meanwhile, HLB Science is currently developing DD-S052P, an antibiotic for the treatment of sepsis, which is undergoing phase 1 clinical trials in France. Recently, HLB Science was selected as a business operator for the 2023 Primary Healthcare Technology R&D Project organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) and will receive 2.75 billion won (approximately $2.15 million) in research funding over the next three years to develop DD-S052P.

Seeking to explore new pipelines beyond the sepsis clinical asset, HLB Science has begun researching new treatments for microbiome-related diseases, said a company official.

"Microbiome therapeutics which incorporate the intestinal microbial ecosystem are attracting attention as next-generation biopharmaceuticals because they have very few side effects unlike existing therapies," said HLB Science CEO Yoon Jong-sun. "We will aim to increase our corporate value through cooperation with NodCure which has excellent technology and research capabilities in this field."