K-Medi Hub (Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation) announced a joint research collaboration with Calici, led by CEO Jae-Mun Choi, to develop next-generation therapeutics targeting infectious diseases.

While current COVID-19 treatments such as Remdesivir (Gilead Sciences), Molnupiravir (Merck), and Paxlovid (Pfizer) inhibit the activity of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and certain viral proteases, their therapeutic efficacy has proven limited. To better prepare for future pandemics, K-Medi Hub and Calici aim to develop protein-targeted therapeutics that demonstrate clearer and more effective antiviral outcomes.

The collaboration will leverage K-Medi Hub’s expertise in protein structure analysis together with Calici’s AI-driven drug discovery platform, Pharmaco-Net®, to identify and validate novel therapeutic targets. Supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s “Structure-Based Vaccine Design Commercialization Program,” the joint research will focus on directly inhibiting essential viral enzymes, paving the way for efficient and next-generation antiviral drug development.