LG AI Research joins D&D Pharmatech to develop AI-powered peptide drugs
June 17 (UPI) -- South Korea's LG AI Research said Wednesday that it has agreed to cooperate with D&D Pharmatech to develop next-generation peptide drugs by taking advantage of artificial intelligence.
Toward that end, LG AI Research noted that the collaboration will bring together its AI-based molecular design technology and D&D Pharmatech's expertise in peptide therapeutics and clinical research.
Peptide therapeutics can target disease-related molecules inside cells that are often inaccessible to conventional antibody drugs. However, they have been limited to injectable formulations because they are vulnerable to degradation in the digestive system.
By applying AI to molecular design, the two partners aim to overcome such challenges, paving the way for orally administered therapies for hard-to-treat conditions, according to LG AI Research.
Established in late 2020 as a unit of LG Group, LG AI Research has created the EXAONE family of large language models. In particular, the institute operates an AI-powered platform for pharmaceutical compounds, called EXAONE Discovery.
"This collaboration goes beyond a simple technology introduction, as it represents an effort to develop specialized bio-AI that addresses the complex challenge of drug discovery," LG AI Research chief Lim Woo-hyung said in a statement.
"We will work closely together to enhance both the speed and probability of success in developing next-generation peptide drugs through AI-driven protein design technology," he added.
D&D Pharmatech CEO Lee Seul-ki expected the bilateral partnership to boost the efficiency of drug discovery.
"We strive to demonstrate our technological leadership in emerging areas of oral peptide therapeutics, including macrocyclic peptides," he said in a statement.
The share price of D&D Pharmatech surged 18.01% on the Seoul bourse on Wednesday, while the benchmark KOSPI rose 1.58%. LG AI Research is not publicly listed.
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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 4:22 AM.