SK Biopharmaceuticals (326030) is strengthening its research and development organization with a series of hires bringing in global research and clinical experts in neuroscience and oncology. The company aims to expand in-house capabilities spanning drug candidate discovery through clinical development to accelerate work on its next global drug.
The company said on the 8th that it recently recruited Dr. Kim Tae-ho, a global neuroscience R&D expert, as head of its Neuroscience division, and reorganized its existing central nervous system (CNS) research unit into the Neuroscience division, which will report directly to the chief executive officer.
Kim has spent more than 20 years in neuroscience drug research and development, including 12 years at Novartis. Kim's experience covers drug discovery, preclinical work, early clinical development and portfolio strategy. In the new role, Kim will oversee neuroscience research, translational research, research strategy and the portfolio, while also handling next-generation pipeline discovery and open innovation.
In oncology, the company is expanding research and development around radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) and targeted protein degradation (TPD). The RPT effort is led by Shin Yong-je, head of the RPT Center, and covers drug candidate discovery, building a proprietary chelator platform and securing a radioisotope supply chain. In TPD, Ryan Kruger, chief science officer at U.S. subsidiary SK Life Science Labs, leads research on next-generation cancer drugs.
The clinical development organization is also being reinforced. At U.S. subsidiary SK Life Science, eight experts with medical degrees work in clinical development, pharmacovigilance (PV) and medical affairs (MA), led by Sunita Misra, chief medical officer and a pediatric neurologist and epilepsy specialist.
In July, the company recruited Kim Soo-young, an MD with more than 18 years of experience in oncology clinical work and drug development at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) and AbbVie, as vice president for clinical development. The company deploys its MD staff not only in CNS and oncology clinical development but also in safety evaluation and medical and scientific exchange with healthcare professionals.
In CNS, the company is conducting clinical development on primary generalized tonic-clonic (PGTC) seizures, partial-onset seizures, expansion into pediatric indications, and carisbamate. In oncology, it is advancing clinical development of its p300, NTSR1 and CA9 programs.
Building on these R&D capabilities, SK Biopharmaceuticals is also pursuing an "East-West Bridge" strategy, under which it discovers drug candidates in Asia, including South Korea, then moves them through preclinical and early clinical stages toward global development and commercialization.
"Through collaboration between MDs who have experience treating and prescribing for patients and our research experts, we are strengthening an R&D system that connects research to clinical development and commercialization," said Lee Dong-hoon, president of SK Biopharmaceuticals. "We will continue to secure talent with global experience and expertise to raise our capabilities for developing follow-on drugs."
