■The medical artificial intelligence (AI) corporation Lunit announced on the 23rd that it will present research results utilizing its AI biomarker platform "Lunit Scope" at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO 2025) conference, which will be held in Chicago, USA, from the 30th to the 3rd of next month. This year, it plans to present the highest number of research abstracts among global medical AI corporations, totaling 12. In this research, Lunit applied its AI solution to analyze immunohistochemical (IHC) slide images of 288 patients with HER2 positive cholangiocarcinoma, quantitatively assessing the expression distribution based on the intensity of HER2 expression in cancer cells as well as its intracellular location (such as cell membrane and cytoplasm). The research results showed that Lunit AI not only predicted the intensity of HER2 expression but also the cell membrane specificity of HER2 expression, which better predicted the treatment response of patients. Among 29 patients treated with trastuzumab, those with high HER2 cell membrane specificity showed a median progression-free survival (mPFS) of 11 months, demonstrating improved treatment outcomes compared to the 4.2 months for the group with low cell membrane specificity.
■Meerecompany announced on the 23rd that it will participate in the 2025 Korean Surgical Society Spring Conference held at BEXCO in Busan for two days starting on the 30th, showcasing its surgical robot Revo-i and operating various programs. The exhibition booths will be set up in areas A6 and A7 on the first floor of the convention hall. The company will participate in the "Student Camp" program aimed at medical students, offering practical sessions on the Revo-i. Utilizing the virtual reality (VR) based simulator Revo-Sim, students will have the opportunity to repeatedly train on modules designed like actual surgeries, enabling them to learn and experience robotic surgery techniques.
■GI Innovation and ProGen announced on the 21st that they have signed a memorandum of understanding for joint research in the anti-aging field. Through this agreement, the two companies will commence joint research focusing on three key pipelines: GI-102 (GI Innovation) for immune enhancement, GIB-7 (GI Biom) for improving muscle strength and gut environment, and PG-102 (ProGen) aimed at enhancing brain cognitive functions. GI Innovation aims to strengthen immune and muscle functions with GI-102 and GIB-7, and improve brain cognitive function with PG-102 in hopes of winning the anti-aging treatment competition "XPRIZE."
■Gradiant Corporation announced on the 23rd that it has signed a bio-marker co-validation and business agreement with Medic Life Sciences to explore the feasibility of applying EGFR inhibitors in patients with EGFR-negative non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). They plan to verify whether the bio-marker candidates identified by Medic can consistently reproduce responses seen in existing 3D cell culture models using Gradiant's patient-derived organoid (PDO) models. Following this, they will utilize various data to cluster patient groups based on specific bio-markers and compare and analyze sensitivity to EGFR inhibitors to validate the bio-markers' efficacy.
■Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital announced on the 23rd that it has installed the "Baxter TS7000dV surgical table," which integrates with the latest robotic surgical system, the Da Vinci 5. This surgical table is the only equipment compatible with Da Vinci 5, making Ilsan Paik Hospital the first in Korea and Asia to install it. The DV surgical table is designed to withstand up to 454 kg and is equipped with advanced collision prevention features, allowing for safe surgical procedures.
■Dong-A Pharmaceutical announced on the 23rd that it has launched the "Co & One Q Nasal Spray," which manages nasal congestion and nasal injury. This product is a medication that contains xylometazoline and dexpanthenol to help alleviate symptoms of colds, rhinitis, sinusitis, and nasal congestion, and is in a spray form for the nose. It is available for purchase at pharmacies as an over-the-counter medication.
■Pharmgen Science announced on the 23rd that it has officially launched its focus-enhancing jelly "Jiphyeonjeon" and sustained-release vitamin C "Vitain" on Qoo10 Japan, the largest beauty open market in Japan.
■HK inno.N conducted an activity to remove invasive plant species at the Tancheon Taepyeong Wetland in celebration of "International Day for Biological Diversity." This activity is part of the initiative stemming from the "ESG Environmental Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding" signed with Seongnam City in March. Participants engaged in activities to remove Chinese silver grass. This species is a representative invasive species that threatens biodiversity or disrupts ecological balance.