[CEOs of Companies Selected for the 2025 Daejeon CCEI Pre-Startup Package] PxPreMED, A Precision Medicine Platform Company Predicting Individual Patient Drug Responses

Yoonjung Choi CEO of PxPreMED

-Developing prediction technologies and an AI platform that identify drug responses in advance using just a single drop of a patient’s blood

-Flagship product A drug response prediction kit utilizing RNA-based multiplex gene analysis technology

With a vision of “More accurate precision medicine through prediction”, PxPreMED is developing predictive technologies and an AI platform that can determine drug responses beforehand using a single drop of a patient's blood. The company was founded in May 2025 by CEO Yoonjung Choi (44).

“I earned my Ph.D. in Epigenetics from KAIST and previously worked at an AI-driven drug discovery platform company”, said CEO Choi. “Leveraging these experiences, I established PxPreMED to build a precision medicine platform that predicts individual drug responses for each patient.”

The flagship item is the Circle-Lock Platform (CLP), a drug response prediction kit that utilizes RNA-based multiplex gene analysis. Specifically targeting rheumatoid arthritis patients who frequently use biologics, this in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) kit predicts the efficacy of anti-TNF-α agents before treatment begins.

Previously, patients had to take a medication for several months to determine if it was effective. However, PxPreMED’s technology can predict drug reactivity within three hours using only 0.1ml of blood. Furthermore, the company is developing the PxPreMED PRI Platform, an AI-based precision medicine platform that combines prediction kit results, clinical information, and patient RNA data to recommend personalized drug selections.

The core competitiveness of PxPreMED can be summarized into three strengths. High Accuracy and Real-time Insights, RNA is a biomarker that best reflects a patient's current immune status and disease activity. While DNA-based analysis only shows past genetic information, RNA analysis precisely reveals how the body is responding in the present, leading to higher accuracy in predicting drug reactions.

Speed and Convenience, There is no need to wait several days as with traditional NGS (Next-Generation Sequencing) tests; results are available on the same day. By reducing the required blood sample from 1.5ml to 0.1ml, the burden on the patient is significantly lowered.

Proprietary RNA-Based Multiplex Technology, The CLP-based platform consists of entirely in-house developed technologies, including RNA stabilization, probe design, and multiplex qPCR algorithms, ensuring high cost-competitiveness and scalability.

Regarding future plans, CEO Choi stated, “In the short term, our goals include obtaining approval for our rheumatoid arthritis drug response prediction kit, entering top-tier hospitals in Korea, commercializing our AI-based prediction solutions, and developing digital diagnostic devices.” She added, “In the mid-to-long term, we plan to expand to all diseases where TNF-α inhibitors are used—such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and ankylosing spondylitis—to grow into a global leader in drug response prediction and eventually a pioneer in precision medicine-based AI and digital healthcare.”

Established: May 2025
Core Business: Multi-gene-based drug response prediction kits and AI platforms utilizing personalized Circle-Lock Platform technology
Key Achievements: Sept 2025: Filed patents for drug reactivity prediction data processing and devices; filed patent for CLP Linker; selected for follow-up support as an Outstanding Founder in the IP Stepping Stone Program, signed as a commissioned R&D institution for the InnoCORE AI-Innovative Drug Research Group, Aug 2025: Filed patent for CLP (Circle-Lock Platform), July 2025: Selected for the IP Stepping Stone Program and Daedeok Innopolis Campus Accelerating program, April 2025: Selected as a resident founder for Daejeon Startup Park and selected for the Preliminary Startup Package, Dec 2024: Won the Grand Prize at the Preliminary Startup Package ‘Ready Startup’ Morning Star Investment Competition.

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com