Prestige Biopharma IDC Appoints Dr. Koh Sang-seok, Discoverer of PAUF Protein, as CEO

Prestige Biopharma IDC Appoints Dr. Koh Sang-seok, Discoverer of PAUF Protein, as CEO

Prestige Biopharma Group announced that it has appointed a new leader to head its Innovative Discovery Centre (IDC), signaling a major step toward its transformation into a global biopharmaceutical company.

On the 5th, Prestige Biopharma stated that its subsidiary, Prestige Biopharma IDC, has appointed Dr. Sang-seok Koh, previously Head of the research institute, as Chief Executive Officer and transitioned to a co-CEO structure. The decision was made to enhance management efficiency and strengthen global competitiveness in drug development, particularly as the company prepares for the completion of its new large-scale antibody drug research center in Myeongji, Busan. Under the new structure, Dr. Koh will focus on accelerating pipeline development, including pancreatic cancer antibody therapeutics, while existing CEO Seok-jae  Seowill oversee the completion of the new IDC facility and its development into a global open innovation hub.

Dr. Koh is internationally recognized as the first scientist to discover the PAUF (Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Up-regulated Factor) protein in 2009, which serves as the therapeutic target for Prestige Biopharma’s pancreatic cancer antibody drug PBP1510. He has led research into PAUF’s oncogenic mechanisms and the development of targeted therapies, advancing the field from biomarker discovery to clinical-stage therapeutics and diagnostics. It is considered rare for a biomarker discoverer to continue research for over 15 years and advance a candidate through animal studies to clinical trials. With his appointment, IDC is expected to further accelerate the commercialization of PBP1510 and strengthen its role as the group’s central hub for antibody drug research.

Dr. Koh is a leading authority in antibody therapeutics, having published 88 research papers, including SCI-indexed journals, and holding 14 registered patents. He earned his bachelor’s degree in microbiology and a Ph.D. in molecular genetics from Seoul National University, followed by postdoctoral research at the Whitehead Institute at MIT. He later held key positions at LG Chem, LG Life Sciences in the United States, and the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, where he led antibody therapeutics research. Since 2014, he has served as a full professor in the Department of Biomedical Science at Dong-A University and previously held the position of dean of the College of Natural Sciences.

Dr. Koh has been affiliated with Prestige Biopharma since 2019 as a scientific advisor and has served as Head of IDC since 2021. His appointment also reflects that the construction of the new IDC facility in Busan is nearing completion. The Busan IDC, one of the largest biopharmaceutical R&D centers in Korea, is scheduled for completion in May, with relocation planned by June. The facility has been designated as a high-tech investment zone by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and managed by the Busan Metropolitan Government.

Prestige Biopharma IDC has been conducting research based on its proprietary targets, PAUF and CTHRC1, focusing on the development of antibody therapeutics such as bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), as well as vaccines for emerging infectious diseases and diagnostic platforms for early disease detection. In addition to PBP1510 for pancreatic cancer and PBP1710 for refractory solid tumors, the company is expected to expand its pipeline with new antibody drug candidates. With the completion of IDC, Prestige Biopharma Group plans to further strengthen its position as a specialized developer of antibody therapeutics and focus on first-in-class drug development.

In his inaugural address, Dr. Koh stated, “Drug development is often compared to a marathon due to its long-term nature. Our primary goal is to accelerate the development of promising drug candidates, such as through strategic approaches like the FDA Fast Track designation for PBP1510, while establishing systematic processes to manage uncertainties and development costs throughout the R&D lifecycle.” He added, “The Busan IDC will serve as the starting point of a full value chain encompassing drug development, clinical trials, commercialization, and manufacturing, and will foster new industry-academia-research collaboration models through open innovation.”

Reference: Asia Economy (http://view.asiae.co.kr/article/2024030509315302837)