Global AI Drug Discovery Research Center and Cureverse Co., Ltd. Sign MOU N
- Date2026.01.13
- 256
Linking AI-Driven Research Capabilities with Industry Drug Development Expertise Expanding the Industry–Academia–Research Ecosystem
The Global AI Drug Discovery Research Center (Director: Choi Sun) held a signing ceremony on Monday, January 5, at the College of Pharmacy building on campus with innovative drug development company Cureverse Co., Ltd. (CEO: Cho Sung-jin) to establish a partnership for the joint research and development of next-generation drugs using artificial intelligence (AI).
Director Choi Sun of the Global AI Drug Discovery Research Center and CEO Cho Sung-jin of Cureverse Co., Ltd.
This agreement aims to combine the AI-based drug discovery research capabilities accumulated by the Global AI Drug Discovery Research Center with the practical research and development experience of a drug development company that has achieved successful technology licensing outcomes, in order to jointly research and develop next-generation therapeutics.
Through this partnership, the two institutions plan to promote joint research and technological cooperation in AI-based drug discovery, jointly conduct research and development projects, and share research facilities. In addition, they will engage in academic exchanges such as seminars, research presentations, and invited lectures, as well as operate joint education and internship programs to cultivate experts. By facilitating the smooth exchange of human and material resources and the effective use of technical information, the collaboration aims to enhance overall research and development outcomes.
The Global AI Drug Discovery Research Center was established in 2020 with the goal of reducing the substantial time and cost required for research and development (R&D) by leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies, while maximizing the efficiency and success rate of drug discovery. The center has conducted in-depth, multidisciplinary research related to new drug development, including AI-based drug design, lead compound discovery and optimization, and studies on mechanisms of action and dynamics at the quantum, atomic, and molecular levels.
Cureverse Co., Ltd. is a researcher-founded company spun off from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), focusing primarily on the development of small-molecule drugs for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Based on its expertise in medicinal chemistry-driven structural optimization and preclinical efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and safety evaluation, Cureverse developed an oral drug candidate for dementia. The company previously signed a technology licensing agreement worth a total of KRW 500 billion with global pharmaceutical company Angelini Pharma. This achievement is recognized as the largest technology export deal accomplished by a government-funded research institute spin-off company based on its own drug development capabilities.
This agreement also holds significance in that it expands the existing institutional partnership between Ewha Womans University and KIST into concrete drug discovery research collaboration. Cooperation with Cureverse, a KIST spin-off company, demonstrates the materialization of a collaborative drug development ecosystem in which foundational research from government-funded institutes, the expertise and research capabilities of universities, and the development experience of companies are organically connected. Furthermore, as Cureverse is a tenant company of the Seoul BioHub, this collaboration aligns with the cooperative framework between the Ewha Womans University Industry–Academic Cooperation Foundation and the Seoul BioHub, and is expected to strengthen linkages through which research outcomes lead to technology transfer, follow-up research, and commercialization.
Choi Sun, Director of the Global AI Drug Discovery Research Center, stated, “This agreement is expected to become a meaningful collaboration in which the center’s AI-based drug discovery research is directly linked to real-world drug development by industry.” Cho Sung-jin, CEO of Cureverse Co., Ltd., remarked, “Building on the drug development experience and technology licensing achievements accumulated since our founding at KIST, we will jointly research and develop next-generation drugs together with the Global AI Drug Discovery Research Center at Ewha Womans University.”
With this agreement as a starting point, the two institutions plan to progressively expand joint research and development of next-generation drugs, and to further enhance sustained research output and technology commercialization potential based on the Ewha Womans University–KIST–Seoul BioHub collaboration network.
Attendees Kang Su-seong, Deputy Director of the Global AI Drug Discovery Research Center and Head of the Department of Pharmacy; Professor Song Eun-joo of the Department of Pharmacy; Lee Hwa-jung, Dean of the College of Pharmacy; Choi Sun, Director of the Global AI Drug Discovery Research Center; Cho Sung-jin, CEO of Cureverse Co., Ltd.; Jin Jeong-uk, Chief Scientific Officer; and Professor Cha Sun-shin of the Department of Chemistry and Nano Science.