NextGen Bioscience

About NextGen Bioscience

NextGen Bioscience is a South Korean biotechnology company founded in 2018 by CEO Bong-Yong Lee. The company focuses on researching and developing innovative drug therapies for autoimmune and fibrotic diseases with high unmet medical needs. Leveraging decades of experience, the R&D-centric firm utilizes technologies like AI-driven molecular modeling to discover and advance its pipeline.

The founder, Bong-Yong Lee, is a recognized expert in new drug development within the Korean pharmaceutical industry. A graduate of Seoul National University's College of Pharmacy with a doctorate from the State University of New York, he has held senior R&D positions at major pharmaceutical companies, including Yuhan Corporation, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, and SK Chemicals, for nearly 40 years. His experience includes involvement in the development of a pulmonary fibrosis drug candidate that was later licensed to an Italian pharmaceutical company.

NextGen Bioscience’s business model is centered on the entire drug development process, from candidate discovery and chemical synthesis to bioevaluation, preclinical trials, and eventually, clinical trials and regulatory approval. The company's pipeline targets a range of conditions, including alopecia areata, ulcerative colitis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and wet age-related macular degeneration (wet-AMD). One of its lead candidates, NXC736, is being developed as a potential treatment for alopecia areata. The company has successfully raised capital through multiple funding rounds, including a Series A in 2019, a Series B in 2020, and subsequent investments from institutional investors like Korea Investment Partners, DSC Investment, and Korea Development Bank, as well as a strategic investment from Shin Poong Pharmaceutical.