SK biopharmaceuticals partners with ProEn Therapeutics for radiopharmaceutical drug development
SK biopharmaceuticals said Tuesday that it has signed a collaborative research and development agreement with Korean biotech company ProEn Therapeutics to develop radiopharmaceutical therapies (RPT).
The agreement is part of SK biopharmaceuticals’ strategy to expand into the radiopharmaceutical sector by strengthening its RPT pipeline and enhancing its drug development capabilities through platform technologies.
ProEn Therapeutics, which specializes in oncology treatments, leverages its proprietary ArtBody technology—a dual-targeting binder designed to maximize tumor selectivity and safety. This platform enables the development of innovative therapeutics.
Through the partnership, SK biopharmaceuticals aims to develop next-generation RPT drugs using small protein molecules. “These molecules are less expensive to manufacture and have superior tumor penetration compared to antibody therapeutics, addressing issues of toxicity and production costs,” a SK biopharmaceuticals official noted.
The companies plan to secure up to two preclinical candidates by 2027, accelerating the drug development timeline.
“This collaboration with ProEn marks a significant milestone in our RPT development strategy, enabling us to overcome the limitations of existing treatments with a new platform technology,” said SK biopharmaceuticals CEO Lee Dong-hoon. Since his appointment last year, SK biopharmaceuticals has identified RPT as one of its three next-generation focus areas, alongside targeted protein degradation (TPD) and cell and gene therapy (CGT).
“By adopting an innovative approach based on small protein molecules, we aim to develop safer, more effective therapies and lead global RPT research and development efforts,” he added.
