Bonglee Kim, CEO of Dr.B LAB
-Data-Driven Discovery: Analyzes vast Oriental medicine literature and clinical prescription big data to extract active compounds that block specific cancer pathways or maximize immune response.
-AI-Enhanced Selection: Utilizes AI and network pharmacology to rapidly identify optimal active materials from tens of thousands of combinations, followed by rigorous pre-clinical validation through systematic evaluation.
-Standardization: Streamlines the drug discovery process through its proprietary TIE (Traditional, In Silico, Experiment) platform, significantly increasing the probability of efficacy while reducing development timelines.
The company's flagship project is its pipeline for anti-cancer natural drugs based on Oriental medicine big data. Rather than simply following traditional prescriptions, Dr.B LAB analyzes massive datasets of historical literature and clinical records to isolate active ingredients capable of inhibiting specific cancer cell pathways or boosting immunity. Currently, the company holds natural candidate substances targeting lung and pancreatic cancers. “We are particularly focused on developing an anti-cancer combination therapy to overcome resistance to Osimertinib (Tagrisso), which is widely used for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)”, said CEO Bonglee Kim.
Dr.B LAB’s core competitiveness stems from its proprietary and patented discovery platform, the TIE (Traditional, In Silico, Experiment) technique.
“Our platform starts with Traditional big data—proven Oriental medicine records—to inherently lower the failure rate”, Kim explained. “Based on In Silico computer simulations, we use AI and network pharmacology to quickly screen for the best active materials among tens of thousands of combinations. Finally, we conduct rigorous pre-clinical validation through empirical Evaluation.”
Through this process, Dr.B LAB has reduced the initial stages of drug development to one-third of the typical timeframe while dramatically increasing the success rate for efficacy. Kim emphasized that the research team’s prowess—evidenced by over 270 SCIE-level papers, including seven with an Impact Factor (IF) of 10 or higher—forms a formidable technical barrier that is difficult for competitors to replicate.
“Dr.B LAB pursues a business model centered on technology licensing (L/O) and collaborative research”, stated Kim. “After advancing anti-cancer candidates discovered through our TIE platform to the pre-clinical or Phase 1 clinical stages, we aim to generate milestone and royalty revenue by licensing them out to global pharmaceutical companies. We also employ a strategy of licensing the manufacturing technology for disease-specific natural materials or co-developing new pipelines with pharmaceutical partners.”
The company has secured solid research funding, having successfully executed the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startup) and being selected for subsequent TIPS overseas marketing and commercialization support programs. Furthermore, Dr.B LAB secured 800 million KRW in commercialization funds through the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine’s modernization R&D projects. In collaboration with the Kyung Hee University Medical Research Center (MRC) and the Kyung Hee Cancer Center, the company has achieved a significant milestone by securing over 700 million KRW in additional government-funded research projects.
Dr.B LAB’s goals for this year include entering clinical trials and global data standardization. The company plans to finalize pre-clinical trials for its current anti-cancer candidates and initiate the IND (Investigational New Drug) approval process. Notably, the company is accelerating the development of professional herbal medicines to treat ‘inflammatory edema’, an unmet medical need caused by the recent withdrawal of certain anti-inflammatory enzyme agents from the market. This project, supported by the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, is expected to be an innovative alternative to existing synthetic drugs.
Regarding the future, Kim shared his vision: “Our goal is to become the ‘Global Standard for Natural Drugs’. By unlocking the vast treasure trove of Oriental medicine through data science, we aim to develop anti-cancer drugs that are powerful yet have minimal side effects. We strive to be an innovative global bio-tech company that provides new therapeutic alternatives to cancer patients worldwide.”
Established: July 2022
Core Business: Development of anti-cancer natural drugs based on Oriental medicine big data and AI; licensing of natural materials.
Key Achievements: Selected for the 500 million KRW TIPS project (2024). Secured additional TIPS projects for overseas marketing and startup commercialization (2025). Awarded 805 million KRW in national R&D projects. Completed technology transfers and secured 10 patents.
reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com
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