Reporter Eom Eun-hyuk of Biospectator
Announcement of the digital health vision.
▲ Hwang Seon-gwan, Vice President of SK Biopharmaceuticals
SK Biopharmaceuticals has officially announced its expansion into the digital therapeutics (DTx) market by managing the “Project ZeroTM”, which aims to “completely eliminate seizures” in epilepsy. This is a fresh move three years after SK Biopharmaceuticals’ new epilepsy drug “Cenobamate (US product name: Xcopri®/XCOPRI®)” received marketing approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) US in 2019.
In the future, SK Biopharmaceuticals plans to develop digital therapies for the general nervous system and cancer, including ADHD, depression, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease.
SK Biopharmaceuticals held a pre-briefing to present the digital healthcare business roadmap and vision at the Koreana Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 14th.
SK Biopharmaceuticals announced that it aims to become a global premium-level whole-health solutions company that provides integrated services such as real-time monitoring and data-driven seizure detection to patients with epilepsy. To this end, it intends to strengthen its digital business model and build an ecosystem.
SK Biopharmaceuticals’ Project Zero, which is advancing the field of digital therapies for synergy with existing new epilepsy drugs, is a wearable device that collects real-time brainwave, electrocardiogram and movement data from patients. ▲ Analyze data collected to detect seizure occurrence AI (artificial intelligence) model that provides seizure detection notifications to patients, and develop mobile apps that help manage illnesses by recording and analyzing histories.
In this regard, SK Biopharmaceuticals will introduce ‘Zero GlassesTM’, ‘Zero WiredTM’, ‘Zero HeadbandTM’ and ‘Zero Ear’ at CES 2023, which will be held in January next year. It plans to introduce 5 types of wearable devices exclusively for the ‘epilepsy, including ‘Bird TM’ and ‘Zero Headset TM’.
Among them, “Zero Glass” and “Zero Wired” won the “CES 2023” innovation award for the first time as a national pharmaceutical company with outstanding design and technology. These wearable devices can record real-time biological signals on “Zero AppTM” and analyze the data.
SK Biopharmaceuticals plans to start clinical trials in Korea next year using these five types of epilepsy devices.
Hwang Seon-gwan, vice president of SK Biopharmaceuticals Corporation (Headquarters in charge of R&D innovation), said, “In the area of convergence of AI development through the collection of patient brainwave big data epileptics, diagnosis and management through new drugs and wearable devices, other global companies “The digital innovation of SK Biopharmaceuticals will become an innovative model that can contribute to the entire treatment process of prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management.”
Meanwhile, SK Biopharmaceuticals’ epilepsy drug cenobamate posted cumulative sales of 119.4 billion won in the third quarter, with US sales reaching 47.4 billion won, an increase of 138% over the previous year.
