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Yuhan Corporation Files Trademark for AI Drug Discovery Platform 'Yu-NIVUS'

[비즈한국] It has been discovered that Yuhan Corporation000100 is preparing to launch its own AI (artificial intelligence) drug discovery platform. Amid a rush by pharmaceutical and biotech companies to build AI capabilities, Yuhan, the top traditional pharmaceutical company in Korea, appears to be moving beyond internalizing AI expertise toward the launch of a commercial service.

According to the patent information service KIPRIS, Yuhan Corporation filed for the trademark 'Yu-NIVUS' on the 21st of last month. The designated goods and services for the trademark include: △development and management of computer software for data analysis in the medical/biotechnology fields using deep learning algorithms, △drug discovery services, △computer programming services for AI-based drug discovery platforms, △computer software for drug discovery simulation, and △computer programs related to AI platforms for drug development using compound libraries.

Yuhan Corporation's trademark registration for Yu-NIVUS is considered unusual. It is understood that other pharmaceutical companies that possess AI drug discovery platforms have not registered trademarks for their proprietary platforms. Daewoong Pharmaceutical069620 holds 'DAISY', JW Pharmaceutical001060 owns 'Jewelry', 'CLOVER', and 'J-Wave', while SK Biopharmaceuticals326030 holds 'HUBBLE' and 'HUBBLE Plus'.

Competition among other pharmaceutical companies to secure AI drug discovery platforms is fierce. Samjin Pharmaceutical005500 is building 'Q-DrugX', a drug discovery platform that fuses quantum computing with AI, while Dong-A ST is developing an AI drug discovery platform in collaboration with Seoul National University’s Department of Transdisciplinary Studies. GC Biopharma has also embarked on building a platform in partnership with the Mogam Institute for Biomedical Research and the Seoul National University AI Institute.

Yuhan Corporation has also been utilizing AI in drug discovery through collaborations with other AI firms. Last December, it signed a comprehensive joint research agreement for AI-based drug discovery with OncoMaster and Huray Positive. The collaboration aims to increase the development success rate of the drug candidates held by Yuhan; OncoMaster possesses 'OCM-002', an AI-based immunotherapy response prediction technology. Huray Positive is building AI software capable of recommending personalized treatments for patients and predicting patient responses based on genomic and clinical information to provide precision medicine services. When asked about the potential launch of an AI drug discovery platform service, a Yuhan Corporation official stated, "Nothing has been decided in concrete terms."