AI accelerates search for cancer therapeutics in Korea

SK Telecom and SK Biopharmaceuticals used artificial intelligence to identify two early hit compounds for a targeted cancer therapy in five months, a process that traditionally takes much longer. The compounds bind to the ROR1 protein found on cancer cells, potentially accelerating drug development for blood cancers and solid tumors.

Artificial intelligence AI has helped SK Telecom and SK Biopharmaceuticals identify promising early compounds for a targeted cancer therapy in just five months, a breakthrough the companies said could significantly accelerate the earliest stage of drug development. SK Telecom said Wednesday that the joint research successfully identified two early hit compounds capable of binding to ROR1, a protein found on the surface of cancer cells that has emerged as a promising target for treating a range of blood cancers and solid tumors. The companies said AI generated and screened a large pool of binder candidates before laboratory testing confirmed that two showed potential as early-stage hit compounds. Binders are molecules designed to attach to specific biological targets, such as proteins found on cancer cells. Finding new binders typically requires evaluating multiple factors, including how strongly they bind to a target and whether their molecular structures remain stable. SK Biopharmaceuticals developed the strategy for discovering new binders based on its drug development expertise, whil