[Kyung Hee University's Campus Town Startups 2025] Panacura, a Startup Developing a Stroke Prevention Drug Using Medicinal Herbs as Its Flagship Products

Hyeung Jin Jang, CEO of PanaCura Inc.

Signed a license agreement to sell "NeuroRescueX (NRX), HH333", the best-selling product of Kyung Hee University Medical Center's Korean Medicine Hospital, in Korea and overseas.
It is registered with the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter (OTC) drug and is being exported to the Los Angeles area.

"We are currently focusing on developing a drug to prevent ischemic cerebral infarction (stroke). We have signed a license agreement for NeuroRescueX (NRX), the best-selling product of Kyung Hee University Medical Center's Korean Medicine Hospital, and are exporting it to the U.S. On May 5 last year, NeuroRescueX (NRX) was registered as an over-the-counter (OTC) drug by the U.S. FDA. On October 24, NRX was approved as an export drug by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and has been exported to the Los Angeles area since December."

PanaCura is a startup that develops new drugs utilizing medicinal herbs. It was founded in July 2021 by CEO Hyeung Jin Jang (52), a professor of Korean medicine at Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine.

After earning his Ph.D. from Yonsei University, CEO Jang worked in several research institutes in the U.S. including the National Institute on Aging (NIA/NIH), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Maryland, and conducted various research on aging, diabetes, and ICT convergence.

"PanaCura means cure-all in Latin," said CEO Jang, "and I have been working on the scientificization of Korean medicine at the College of Korean Medicine. In the process, I have found medicinal herbs for various diseases and their active gradients, and am preparing to develop new drugs using them."

PanaCura operates in three divisions: Drug Development, Health Functional Foods, and Medical Devices. Currently, the company is focusing on NeuroRescueX (NRX), a preventive medicine for ischemic cerebral infarction.

NeuroRescueX (NRX) is a signature natural medicine of Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital that is used to prevent ischemic cerebral infarction. It has been used for the past 20 years to treat patients with cerebral stroke and cerebral infarction, and its effectiveness has been proven. PanaCura has signed an agreement with Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital to develop it as a Korean specialty drug through technology transfer. PanaCura has received approval for an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for NeuroRescueX (NRX) from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).

PanaCura has also launched lactobacillus health functional food and cosmetics for women personalized through microbiological testing. In March 2025, the company completed the human application test of PP-017, a medicinal herb for respiratory system, and plans to apply for individual recognition type approval from the MFDS within this year.

"If it is approved as a prescription drug for cerebral stroke in 2030, with an aging population of 20 million, it could generate trillions of won in sales like Joins Tab and Stillen Tab," CEO Jang said.

"There is no treatment or preventive medicine for stroke (cerebral stroke and ischemic cerebral infarction) which is the most feared disease for the elderly Aspirin, a thrombolytic agent, has been used as a preventive agent for stroke, but in 2021, it was found to be ineffective in preventing stroke. NeuroRescueX (NRX), which has been used for 20 years at the Stroke Center of the Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Center, has good efficacy, but it is currently not widely used. Therefore, we participated in a clinical research project and commercialized it."

NeuroRescueX (NRX) was prescribed more than 4,500 times in outpatient and 14,100 times inpatient settings for the prevention of recurrent ischemic cerebral stroke over a two-year period from January 2019 to December 2021.

"We conducted a retrospective cohort study for the prevention of recurrent ischemic cerebral stroke in patients with first-time cerebral infarction. We followed 148 patients who had taken both NeuroRescueX (NRX) and Conventional medicine and 208 who had taken only Conventional medicine for two years. Only three people in the NeuroRescueX (NRX) group had a secondary cerebral infarction, compared to 17 people in the Conventional medicine-only group. When we followed the NeuroRescueX (NRX) group for five years, only 12 patients developed a secondary cerebral infarction. This suggests that NeuroRescueX (NRX) is highly effective in preventing the development of secondary cerebral infarction."

PanaCura has been granted a DUNS Number and U.S. FDA Labeler Code and has registered its manufacturing site. NeuroRescueX (NRX) has been advertising on Radio Korea in the Los Angeles area since January 1st of this year. On April 15, the company began advertising NRX in the Korea JoongAng Daily in the Americas and will also make videos for TV commercials.

Meanwhile, PanaCura received investment from Dalim Biotech in October 2024, and began preparations to obtain a license in Korea. "We are currently working to register on Amazon to expand sales in the U.S. market," CEO Jang said, "and we are planning to expand sales through advertising in the East Coast."

Founded: July 2021
Key business areas: New drug development
Achievements: Won a research project from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute to optimize clinical research and evidence generation for medical technology of Korean medicine in April 2022. Performed a joint research with Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital (NeuroRescueX (NRX), HH333) (KRW 1.45 billion/5 years). Won a project to support clinical demonstration of medical devices for Korean medicine from the National Development Institute of Korean Medicine in July 2022. Conducted the H-(Reverse) Train project, a specialized development project, from the Hongneung Innopolis Innotown in August 2022. Won the H-Bridge project, a specialized development project, from the Hongneung Innopolis Innotown in August 2022. Won the R&D project for health functional food development from the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs (KRW 600 million/3 years) in August 2022. Signed a contract for transfer of technology for NeuroRescueX (NRX) with Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital in May 2023. Obtained the venture business certification in June 2023. Won the Minister of Health and Welfare Award (PanaCura won the award at the New Product and New Technology Competition of Korean Medicine) in December 2023. Obtained a manufacturing license (In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices) in December 2023. Obtained approval for in vitro diagnostic medical device from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in January 2024. Obtained IND approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for Phase 2 clinical trial for NeuroRescueX (NRX) in January 2024. Registered Kyung Hee NeuroRescueX (NRX) as an over-the-counter (OTC) drug with the US FDA in May 2024. NRX was approved as an export pharmaceutical product by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in October 2024. NRX was exported to LA, USA (USD 200,000) in December 2024. Received a commendation from the Minister of Health and Welfare in December 2024.

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com