About us

About Enzychem Lifesciences

Enzychem Lifesciences (KOSDAQ:183490) is developing novel small molecule therapeutics to target fundamental pathways in inflammation, patients with significant unmet needs in oncology, inflammatory, and severe respiratory diseases. Based on more than two decades of research, we developed our leading candidate EC-18 (Mosedipimod), an oral small molecule derived from Sika deer antler, which has shown to be active across a number of different indications. The company is also developing EC-18 in fibrotic diseases such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and in severe respiratory diseases as a potential therapy for COVID-19. EC-18, or PLAG, is a naturally synthesized substance, derived from an active ingredient in Sika deer antlers. Our pipeline candidates have the potential to be first-in-class therapies for use in combination or as monotherapy, in major areas of unmet medical need. 

Our Vision

To Improve the Lives of Patients with
Cancer and Inflammatory Diseases

Executive Management

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CHAIRMAN & CEO
Ki Young Sohn

Ki Young Sohn, is a biopharmaceutical leader and executive with more than 30 years of experience in the life sciences and finance industry. He has successfully led teams in start-up, mid-size, and global, large pharmaceutical settings. He is the Chairman of Bridget Lifescience, a Korean biotech company focused on new drug development. He was also a Director at Samil PwC. He has published extensively on EC-18, and his research has been in peer-reviewed medical journals. He earned his BA and MBA in Business Administration from Korea University.
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VICE-CHAIRMAN
Hye Kyung Kim

Hye-Kyung Kim is the vice-chairman of Enzychem Lifesciences, where she oversees finance, business operations and strategy. She was one of the industry pioneers in market research surveys, starting her career at Nielsen Korea, where she created a TV rating survey that is the basis of today's advertising media industry. In 2003, she established Bridget Lifesecience, new drug development company which became a major shareholder of Enzychem Lifesciences. In 2010, she was selected as the Female Leader of the Year by Ewha Womans university, her alma mater.
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Chief Operating Officer
DoHyun Cho, PhD

Dohyun Cho is Chief Operating Officer at Enzychem Lifesciences, and leads U.S. operations. He was the Director General of Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) USA in New York, a specialized agency of Ministry of Health of Republic of Korea. He is known as an expert in healthcare enterprise operations, international affairs, and global trades in bio-health industry. He has actively involved in a lot of activities in and out of bio/pharma industry including serving as the delegate for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) LSIF, Steering Committee member for Korean American Chamber of Commerce (KOCHAM), organizer of New York Health Forum (NYHF) and publisher of World Asian Medical Journal(WAMJ). He also is founder and president of W Medical Strategy Group. He has received many recognizable awards including Achievement Award from the Ministry of Strategy and Finance of Korea.
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Vice President
Hee Soo Kim, MD, PhD

Dr. Hee Soo Kim is the Vice President at Enzychem Lifesciences. He is an experienced physician with a demonstrated history of working in the pharmaceutical industry for 11 years, after 15-year clinical practice as a board certified pediatrician. Over 10 years, He worked at Sanofi Pasteur as Country Medical, Marketing, Regulatory Director, and Medical Head of North Asia (Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong). Dr. Kim has been awarded the Global Sanofi Medical Award with “Vaccine in Sports” project and winner of Marketing Award with Pertussis Clean Zone Campaign: Tdap vaccination for Health Care Workers. Dr. Kim has expertise in infectious diseases, vaccines, and immunology. Dr. Kim has worked on a number of epidemiology studies and clinical trials including influenza, infant primary series of vaccines, meningococcal diseases and vaccines, Japanese encephalitis and Clostridium difficile infection and vaccine. He obtained MD, MSc, and PhD degree from Yonsei University.
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Inventor of EC-18
Changgi D. Hong, MD, PhD

Dr. Changgi D. Hong is an Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. He earned a PhD in medical science from Seoul National University. He is a retired medical nephrologist. Dr. Hong was co-inventor of PLAG with his wife, Dr. Sang-Hee Kim, who was a medical oncologist at the Asan Medical Center, now retired. Dr. Hong served as the Dean of the College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, the President of Asan Medical Center, and the President of Asan Healthcare System, Korea. He was a leading reformer of medical education in Korea and an innovative hospital-based healthcare administrator in Korea.

Clinical Program Leadership

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Head of Clinical Operations
John Choi

Mr. John Choi is Executive Director, Head of Clinical Operations at Enzychem Lifesciences. John has over 30 years of experience in clinical operations. He has worked at various Senior Management Positions at major global pharmaceuticals including J&J, BMS, Merck, AstraZeneca, and Wyeth-Ayerst. Mr. Choi had also served as Chief Executive Officer at Solomon Medical Research, a Korea CRO as well as Country Head and Head of Clinical Operations, APAC for Theorem Clinical Research. John is also a founder and president of Piscium International, Inc. which is a clinical advisory consulting company. Mr. Choi resume include clinical operations and project management responsibilities for the clinical studies such as anti-inflammatory/NSAIDS, respiratory/CAP, Hodgkin Lymphoma, and NSCLC. He is currently leading Phase 2 U.S. studies for Chemoradiation-Induced Oral Mucositis (CRIOM), and COVID-19.
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Head of Business Development
Kaapjoo Park, PhD

Dr. Kaapjoo Park is the Head of Business Development at Enzychem Lifesciences. He obtained PhD degree from Brown University and completed his post-doctoral education at Texas A&M University. He was a teaching professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Kyung Hee University in South Korea. He also has more than 25 years of experience in new drug development. He was a Research Scientist at Duke University for 3 years and Senior/Principal Research Scientist at Pfizer for 10 years in USA. He also was a Director at Yuhan Corporation and Institut Pasteur Korea. He has been actively involved in a lot of activities in and out of the bio/pharma industry including serving as a professional member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Korean Chemical Society, and Korean Pharmaceutical Society.
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Clinical Operation Advisor
Chul S. Hyun, MD, PhD

Dr. Chul S. Hyun obtained his B.A. from the Johns Hopkins University. After earning an M.D. from the University of Miami School of Medicine, he underwent internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center. Subsequently, he completed Gastroenterology and Liver Fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Hyun has also obtained a PhD in Biophysics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. His research training was further enriched in a postdoctoral fellowship in Physiology at the University of Chicago School of Medicine.

He is Board certified in Gastroenterology and has served as a faculty in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Hyun speaks frequently in both academic and community settings on various digestive disease topics, including viral hepatitis and stomach cancer. Dr. Hyun has served as a Board Member of the New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners. He has also served as the president of Korean American Medical Association (KAMA, 2011-2013) and is the founding President of World Korean Medical Organization (WKMO, 2012-2015). In addition, he has served as the director for the Center for Viral hepatitis and as a chair of the Asian American Stomach Cancer Task Force (AASCTF).
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Head, New Drug R&D Center
Sun Young Yoon, PhD

Dr. Sung Young Yoon is the Head of the New Drug R&D Center at Enzychem Lifesciences. She has over 25 years of research experience in cancer-related biology and immunology. Dr. Yoon has been the principal researcher and director on a number of research projects focused on the evaluation of nonclinical efficacy of PLAG in various acute or chronic inflammatory indications including cancer, side effects of chemoradiation therapy, acute radiation syndrome, acute lung injury, hepatitis, and diabetic disease. Dr. Yoon’s research interests have focused on in vivo animal and in vitro studies to understand the mechanism of action of lipid drugs within the body and cells. She authorized more than 50 papers published in journals. Dr. Yoon is also an active member of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) and UST ICORE operating committee. She obtained PhD degree from Korea Academic Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and completed her post-doctoral education at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI).
PNG_LOGO_1

Developing first-in-class small molecules to target
fundamental  inflammation pathways

Scientific Advisory Board

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Scientific Advisory Board & KOL
Jeff Crawford, MD (Chairman of SAB)

Dr. Jeffrey Crawford is George Barth Geller Professor for Research in Cancer and Co-Leader of the Solid Tumor Therapeutics Program in the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) in Durham, North Carolina. He earned his medical degree from Ohio State University and completed his internship, residency and hematology/oncology fellowship at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Crawford served as Chief of the Division of Medical Oncology for 10 years prior to assuming his current leadership roles. He served as Chair of NCCN Myeloid Growth Factors Panel for 15 years. Dr. Crawford is Principal Investigator for the National Clinical Trials Network Lead Academic Site Grant at Duke. His research interests include new treatment approaches to lung cancer, supportive care therapies, including hematopoietic growth factors and biosimilars, and agents that impact muscle wasting. He has published more than 250 manuscripts, chapters and reviews.
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Scientific Advisory Board & KOL
Michael Charlton, MD

Dr. Michael Charlton is currently a Professor of Medicine and Director, Center for Liver Diseases at University of Chicago School of Medicine. He is an internationally renowned specialist in liver diseases and transplant medicine. He has particular expertise in the diagnosis, treatment and management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis) and viral hepatitis. Additionally, Dr. Charlton served as a principal investigator on grants and as a study section member for the National Institutes of Health, including studies of the pathophysiology of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and viral hepatitis. He has published more than 200 manuscripts and is a lead investigator for national and international clinical trials in viral hepatitis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Dr. Charlton has served as a panel member and writer for the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) for the management of hepatitis C and also for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. He is the only physician to serve on both panels.
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Scientific Advisory Board & KOL
Larry Kwak, MD, PhD

Dr. Larry W. Kwak is a world-renowned physician and scientist who has pioneered breakthrough innovations in Immuno-oncology. He joined City of Hope in 2015, following a decade each of leadership in lymphoma and myeloma research and treatment at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Named one of TIME magazine's "100 Most Influential People" in 2010 and winner of the Ho-Am prize in Medicine in 2016, Dr. Kwak is the deputy director of City of Hope's cancer center, director of the Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center,  and is endowed with the title of the Dr. Michael Friedman Professor in Translational Medicine.
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Scientific Advisory Board & KOL
Stephen Sonis, DMD, DMSc

Dr. Stephen Sonis is Professor of Oral Medicine at Harvard, Senior Surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a designated member of the Distinguished faculty of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  He is a world-renowned expert in epithelial injury associated with cancer therapy and the lead consultant for Enzychem’s Phase 2 CRIOM trial.

Dr. Sonis’ development of predictive animal models has enabled the investigation of the biological basis of cancer regimen-related epithelial injury and has catalyzed the development of potential therapies.  Dr. Sonis’ interest in the genomic basis for toxicity risk and its pathology has led to innovative genomics-based analytical approaches to clinically actionable outcomes to personalize disease therapy.  Steve is the former President of Triad, an international not-for-profit company which focused on the adverse health and economic outcomes of cancer treatment toxicities and has served as a special government employee of the FDA.   He has published extensively on the clinical, biological, and health economic aspects of cancer and complications associated with its treatment. Steve holds several patents and is the author of more than 300 original publications, reviews, and chapters and eleven books.  After receiving his DMD from Tufts, Dr. Sonis completed a combined doctorate and residency program at Harvard. Subsequently, he was a Knox Fellow at Oxford (UK) where he studied tumor immunology.
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Scientific Advisory Board & KOL
Ronald Manning, PhD

Dr. Ronald Manning has worked as chief of the Chemical, Radiological and Nuclear (CRN) Medical Countermeasures Branch within the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), serving in the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. His extensive background in medical countermeasures against CRN threats will assist Enzychem's initiatives aimed at preparedness for mass casualty incidents.

With more than 40 years in the industry, Dr. Manning has a depth of experience that includes work in project management, market research, standards development, operations, analytical methods development and recruitment. A graduate of the University of California with doctorate and bachelor’s degrees in chemistry, he has authored or co-authored more than 60 publications, including numerous publications on the management and assessment of radiological emergencies.
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Scientific Advisory Board & KOL
David Grdina, PhD, MBA

Dr. David Grdina is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago. His research is focused on the development of radio-protective drugs for use in the prevention of radiation-induced genomic instability and subsequent processes leading to cancer development. Specifically, studies are directed at very low dose radiation and select phosphorothioate drug exposures to induce adaptive responses affecting genomic instability development. He received his BA in Biology from St. Mary’s College, and his MS and PhD in Radiation Biophysics from the University of Kansas. He also has an MBA from the University of Houston. In 1988, he received a Japanese Government Research Award for Foreign Specialists, Chiba National Laboratory, Chiba Japan. He is also the recipient of the 1993 John Yuhas Award for Excellence in Research University of Pennsylvania.
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Scientific Advisory Board & KOL
Jae Wha Kim, PhD

Dr. Jae Wha Kim is a senior researcher at Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology and an expert in immune-oncology and innate and acquired immunity with inflammation. He has been a co-worker with Enzychem Lifesciences on a number of research projects on the evaluation of mechanism of action of PLAG and nonclinical efficacy in various acute and chronic inflammatory indications including cancer, chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, chemoradiation-induced oral mucositis, acute radiation syndrome, acute lung injury, hepatitis etc. He is a scientific board member of Enzychem Lifesciences Corporation.
He has published extensively on the basic molecular biological mechanism of novel human genes related cancer progression and the development of immune modulators for the treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. He holds many patents and is the author of more than 120 original publications. He obtained PhD degree from KAIST and completed his post-doctoral education at University of Florida. He is a Professor, Department of Functional Genomics, University of Science and Technology (UST), South Korea.
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Scientific Advisory Board & KOL
Cameron Wolfe, MBBS

Dr. Cameron Wolfe is associate professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine. Dr. Wolfe has been leading Duke University Medical School’s Coronavirus Task Force, where he has been on the frontlines treating COVID-19 patients. He is a nationally recognized immunologist and infectious disease expert, specializing in HIV infection, transplant-related infectious diseases, general infectious diseases, biological and emergency preparedness for hospital systems, influenza and respiratory viral pathogens. He completed his fellowship in infectious diseases at Duke University School of Medicine, and his M.B.B.S from the University of Melbourne. He is currently an investigator on the Phase 3 study for Remdesivir (GS-5734) in severe COVID-19 participants, a Phase 3 study of Remdesivir in Moderate COVID-19 patients, the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial (ACTT), and the CARE Focus 1: Latency Biomarker Project.
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Scientific Advisory Board & KOL
Woo Joo Kim, MD, PhD

Dr. Woo Joo Kim is currently a Head of the Division of Infection Control at Korea University Guro Hospital in South Korea. He earned his medical degree and completed his internship, residency, and fellowship at Korea University College of Medicine. He is now the professor of Infectious Diseases at Korea University College of Medicine. Dr. Kim has over 33 years of experience and is well known as Korea's top infectious disease expert. Dr. Kim served as a Director of the Division of Respiratory Virus at Korea National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Korea Influenza Center. He also led the Korean government's epidemiological study of the MERS outbreak as the Head of the Korean Society of Infectious Disease.
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SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD & KOL
Cecil Czekinsky, DMD, PhD, DrMedSci

Dr. Cecil Czerkinsky, DMD, PhD, DrMedSci is a Research Director for the French National Institutes of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) at the Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), a joint CNRS-INSERM-University of Nice research center located in the Sophia-Antipolis Science Park on the French Riviera. He previously served as Deputy Director General and Head of R&D at the International Vaccine Institute and as Professor at Göteborg University, Sweden.  Dr. Cecil Czerkinsky is a Senior Scientific Advisor for Enzychem Lifesciences. He is also playing a role as Chief Scientific Advisor leading mRNA vaccine development. He has an extensive background in vaccine research and was the inventor of several proprietary technologies pertaining to mucosal vaccines, immunotherapy & immunodiagnostics which have been licensed to major pharma corporations. Dr. Czerkinsky is also an investor of the ELISSpot assay, a technique used worldwide for measuring human immune responses to anti-infectious and cancer vaccines. With more than 40 years of experience, he has published over 200 articles and 20 patents in the areas of immunology, with a main focus on vaccine science.  

History

2020

OCTOBER

Two RRS Presentations of EC-18’s Efficacy as ARS Treatment

SEPTEMBER

ESMO Presentation of Synergistic PD-1 Antibody Anticancer Effect of EC-18 on Lung Cancer

AUGUST

COVID-19 Phase 2 IND US FDA Approval

JUNE

AACR Presentation of Synergistic PD-L1 Antibody Anticancer Effect of EC-18 on Bladder Cancer and EC-18’s Efficacy in CRIOM

MAY

COVID-19 Phase 2 IND Korea MFDS Approval

1st Evaluation of the Space Radiation Treatment Development Project Passed by NASA

JANUARY

Biotech Showcase Company Presentation

2019

DECEMBER

AFRRI and DoD Collaboration for EC-18 as Radiation Medical Countermeasure

NOVEMBER

AASLD Presentation for EC-18 Efficacy in NASH

OCTOBER

AACR-NCI-EORTC Conference Presentation of EC-18 in Anti-Cancer and Anti-Metastasis Effect and CIN Phase 2 Part 1 Study Results

MAY

ARS Phase 2 Multi-Animal Studies FDA Approval

CIN Phase 2 Stage 1 Study Completed

FEBRUARY

CRIOM Phase 2 Stage 1 Patient Enrollment Study Completed

EU GMP Approved

JANUARY

RNCP and CCRP’s support selected by NIH NIAID

2018

JUNE

Enzychem Lifesciences USA, Inc Established and Global Operation Launched

MARCH

Fast Track Designation by US FDA on CRIOM

FEBRUARY

Listed on the KOSDAQ Stock Market (KOSDAQ: 183490)

2017

DECEMBER

Orphan Drug Designation by US FDA on ARS

JULY

CRIOM Phase 2 IND US FDA Approval

MAY

AAI Presentation

2016

DECEMBER

CIN Phase 2 IND Korea MFDS Approval

NOVEMBER

3rd KDDF Government Grant for Global New Drug Development Awarded

JULY

CIN Phase 2 IND US FDA Approval

MAY

AAI Annual Meeting Presentation

2015

OCTOBER

2nd KDDF Government Grant for Global New Drug Development Awarded

MAY

CIN Phase 1 IND Approved by US FDA

MARCH

GMP Qualification Approved by Japan PMDA

FEBRUARY

1st KDDF Government Grant for Global New Drug Development Awarded

JANUARY

Pharm Navi Selected by Korea MFDS

New Technology Product Selected by the Korea MOTIE

2014

SEPTEMBER

CIN Investigators Initiated Study Completed at Asan Medical Center

JULY

EC-18 Approved IND by Korea MFDS

2013

SEPTEMBER

Listed on the KONEX Stock Market

JANUARY

Plant 2 Certified for GMP by Korea MFDS

1st Human Clinical Trial for EC-18 Conducted by Myung-Ji Hospital of Kwandong University

2011

JUNE

New Health Technology Certification Acquired from KHIDI

MARCH

Columbus Project Company through the Korea MOHW

FEBRUARY

Successful Commercial Production of EC-18

2009

APRIL

Plant Inspection Completed by Otto Brands GmbH, Hamburg, Germany for D – Cycloserine Production

2008

APRIL

Plant 1 Certified for GMP by Korea MFDS

2007

MARCH

INNOBIZ Certification Awarded by SMBA

2004

NOVEMBER

"Tower of Million-Dollar Export" Awarded by Korea MOTIE

2000

MARCH

Korea Good Technology Mark Acquired by Korea MEST

1999

JULY

Enzychem Lifesciences is Founded

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