The E&M "Luca AI Cell Merges with Bio Source Technology Company Luca Health"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] THE E&M is strengthening its bio business promoted by its subsidiary Luca AI Cell. The plan is to enhance technological capabilities through a merger with a source technology company and expand business with major pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers.

THE E&M announced on the 13th that its subsidiary Luca AI Cell and the joint venture Luca Health will merge.

The surviving company from this merger will be Luca Health, and the dissolved company will be Luca AI Cell. After the merger, Luca Health will change its trade name to Luca AI Cell. The merger date is set for October 8.

Seunghee Ahn, CEO of Luca AI Cell, said, “We expect to accelerate the bio business development through the merger of Luca Health, which possesses various source technologies related to artificial cell membranes, and Luca AI Cell, which has product commercialization capabilities.”

Luca AI Cell is a bio platform specialized company established in December last year by THE E&M and Luca Health to promote virus and cancer diagnosis, new drug development platform business, etc., using artificial cell membrane technology. It has filed patents for 24 new types of ionizable lipids, which constitute lipid nano particles (LNP), as well as multiple patents related to LNP.

In particular, Luca AI Cell recently began a joint research agreement (RCA) with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore to commercialize LNP source technology and has signed non-disclosure agreements (NDA) and memorandums of understanding (MOU) with numerous domestic and international research institutes and major pharmaceutical companies. It is known to be negotiating the provision of next-generation drug delivery system technology based on mRNA applying artificial cell membrane technology related to virus vaccines and new drug development.

A Luca AI Cell official stated, “In addition to bio-technology research and service businesses such as existing drug delivery systems and new drug development platforms, we have applied artificial cell membrane technology to blocking agents, essential substances in cutting-edge bio, chemistry, and materials engineering research, drastically reducing processing time compared to existing products.” He added, “We have completed the development of ‘LUCA 5-min blocker’ for Western blot with doubled blocking performance and ‘One-Step Co-Blocker’ for ELISA, and are currently negotiating supply through the distribution network of global pharmaceutical companies in the life sciences field.”

He continued, “We also have coating materials that apply artificial cell membrane nanotechnology to medical devices, enhancing biocompatibility and antibacterial properties while adding anti-fouling and lubrication functions. We have signed a memorandum of understanding with Poonglim Pharmatech, the largest domestic manufacturer of syringes and vials, and are promoting commercialization,” he emphasized.

Meanwhile, Luca AI Cell is also producing and selling finished products such as next-generation COVID-19 rapid diagnostic kits and HDV (hepatitis) rapid diagnostic kits, which have dramatically improved sensitivity by applying artificial cell membranes. These diagnostic kits obtained export approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in July and recently signed an export contract for 5 million units to Vietnam. Export negotiations with other Southeast Asian and South American countries are also actively underway.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.