-First-in-Class drug candidate discovered utilizing the proprietary ‘JWave’ platform
-Accelerating research to enter preclinical trials with 24 months of funding
December 2025
JW Pharmaceutical announced on the 8th that its research on a novel metabolic disease therapeutic candidate, discovered via its AI-based drug discovery platform ‘JWave,’ has been selected for the ‘2nd Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF, Director Park Young-min) Project of 2025: Building a New Drug R&D Ecosystem (Candidate Material).’
By leveraging JWave, JW Pharmaceutical applied advanced structure-based modeling and reinforcement learning algorithms to rapidly optimize hit compounds and secure a lead compound featuring a novel mechanism of action. This compound is currently undergoing rigorous optimization at the candidate stage.
Backed by this KDDF grant, the company will receive research funding over the next 24 months. JW Pharmaceutical plans to systematically conduct structural optimization of the lead compound, elucidate its mechanism of action, and perform preliminary toxicity testing to successfully advance the candidate into preclinical trials.
“The newly secured lead compound is an oral First-in-Class candidate equipped with a completely novel mechanism of action, fundamentally distinct from existing metabolic disease treatments. We anticipate it will provide a groundbreaking new treatment option for patients,” stated an official from JW Pharmaceutical. “By continually strengthening our AI-driven drug discovery capabilities, we will concentrate our efforts on creating innovative therapeutics in disease areas burdened with high unmet medical needs.”
■ About JWave
JW Pharmaceutical is maximizing its drug development efficiency through its integrated AI-based R&D platform, ‘JWave.’ Constructed by merging the company's legacy big data-driven drug discovery systems, ‘Jewelry’ and ‘Clover,’ JWave is meticulously designed for deployment across the entire drug discovery lifecycle—from target exploration to lead optimization. The platform operates roughly 20 distinct AI models, fueled by a vast repository of biological and chemical data. This includes genomic information from over 500 cell lines, organoids, and disease animal models, alongside data on approximately 40,000 synthetic compounds. JW Pharmaceutical is currently expanding JWave into a cloud-based environment to significantly accelerate large-scale genomic analysis and AI training. Furthermore, the platform is being actively utilized in collaborative research initiatives spanning industry, academia, research institutes, and hospitals.
■ About the KDDF
The Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF) is an interagency national R&D initiative launched to bolster the global competitiveness of the domestic pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Over a 10-year span beginning in 2021, the fund comprehensively supports the entire life cycle of drug development. Its primary objectives include fortifying the domestic R&D ecosystem, driving global commercialization success, and generating substantial public health benefits.