Qurient
Public Β· 4 known investors
Korean biotech founded in 2008 that develops oncology and anti-infective drug candidates via a 'Network R&D' virtual model.
Also known as KOSDAQ: A115180 Β· KRX: 115180 Β· Qurient Co., Ltd. Β· Qurient Therapeutics Β· μ£Όμνμ¬ ν리μΈνΈ
Investors Β· 4
Also in the syndicate Β· 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Qurient Co., Ltd. is a Korea-based pharmaceutical research and development company founded in 2008 and headquartered in Pangyo, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. The company operates what it calls a 'virtual biotech' or 'Network R&D' model, outsourcing and coordinating research activities through a network of external experts across both early discovery and clinical development stages rather than maintaining fully integrated in-house laboratories. Qurient positions itself as a value creator between early discovery and clinical proof-of-concept, taking the view that late-stage development and commercialization are better handled by fully integrated pharmaceutical and biotech companies with marketing functions in the relevant therapeutic areas.
According to a company profile, Qurient operates through two segments: a Pharmaceutical Research and Development Business segment focused on new drugs including anticancer agents, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, and a Pharmaceutical Distribution Business segment engaged in the distribution of prescription drugs. Disclosed clinical and preclinical programs include mocaciclib (a CDK inhibitor being studied in HR-positive breast cancer, including in combination with Trodelvy), adrixetinib (in acute myeloid leukemia), Q901 (studied in combination with a TROP2-ADC under a CRADA with the U.S. National Cancer Institute), and QP101, a dual-payload antibody-drug conjugate presented in preclinical form at AACR-affiliated forums.
Qurient is also a co-founder and shareholder of QLi5 Therapeutics GmbH, a German biotech created in 2019 as a joint venture growing out of proteasome research associated with the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry and the Lead Discovery Center. QLi5 develops proteasome inhibitor-based ADC payloads intended to be largely inactive in circulation and released inside targeted tumor cells; QLi5 and Qurient presented preclinical PI-ADC data at the AACR-NCI-EORTC conference in 2025.
Business model
Qurient concentrates on drug discovery and clinical development up to clinical proof-of-concept, relying on an external expert network ('Network R&D') for capital-efficient research execution, and expects fully integrated pharmaceutical or biotech partners to carry out late-stage development and commercialization. It also reports a pharmaceutical distribution segment covering prescription drugs.
Latest developments
In 2026 Qurient reported completion of mocaciclib Phase 1 results at ESMO 2026, initiation of a mocaciclib combination trial with Trodelvy, first patient dosing in a Phase 2 trial of mocaciclib in HR-positive breast cancer (June 2026), disclosure of preclinical data for the dual-payload ADC QP101 at AACR D3, and presentation of next-generation ADC strategy at ADC & Bioconjugate East Asia 2026. In December 2025 it participated, alongside R. Huber Family Office GmbH, in a EUR 6.2576 million financing of QLi5 Therapeutics that also increased Qurient's voting stake.
βΈFull profile β market position, technology, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Qurient describes itself as an early participant in Korea's emerging biotech industry. In the ADC payload field, proteasome inhibition remains rarely used compared with dominant microtubule inhibitor and topoisomerase 1 inhibitor payload classes, placing Qurient and its QLi5 joint venture in a relatively uncrowded but clinically unvalidated area; a prior attempt to use the proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib as an ADC payload was found unsuitable due to rapid lysosomal inactivation.
Technology
Qurient's programs span small-molecule oncology candidates (mocaciclib, adrixetinib, Q901) and antibody-drug conjugates, including the dual-payload ADC QP101 presented as preclinical data at AACR D3 and described at ADC & Bioconjugate East Asia 2026. Through co-founded QLi5 Therapeutics, the company is developing proteasome inhibitor-based ADC payloads designed to remain largely inactive in the bloodstream and be released within tumor cells, an approach intended to widen the therapeutic window relative to systemic first-generation proteasome inhibitors such as bortezomib; preclinical PI-ADC data reported anti-tumor activity including in tumors resistant to existing ADCs.
Geography
Headquarters at C-dong 801, 242 Pangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13487, Korea, with shares traded on the Korea Exchange. The company holds a stake in Munich-region-linked German joint venture QLi5 Therapeutics GmbH, and collaborates with U.S. bodies including the National Cancer Institute.
History
Founded in 2008 in Korea, Qurient introduced its Network R&D virtual biotech model and has been listed on the Korea Exchange (KRX: 115180) since 2016. In 2019 it co-founded QLi5 Therapeutics GmbH in Germany as a joint venture built on proteasome research from the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry and the Lead Discovery Center. Between 2023 and 2026 the company completed a series of share-based financings from Korean institutional and strategic investors, advanced clinical programs including adrixetinib (AML trial launched in October 2024) and mocaciclib (Phase 2 first patient dosed in June 2026), entered a CRADA with the U.S. National Cancer Institute in May 2024 for Q901 in combination with a TROP2-ADC, and in September 2025 began collaborating with Synaffix on a dual-payload ADC. It was added to the S&P Global BMI Index in September 2025.
Risks & controversies
The proteasome inhibitor ADC approach pursued with QLi5 has not yet been clinically validated, and earlier proteasome-inhibitor payload attempts failed for stability reasons; academic work on alternative scaffolds has largely remained preclinical. Qurient also disclosed a correction to a filing regarding a change of 30% or more in revenue or profit-and-loss structure.
Compiled by commissioned research from 5 cited public sources β announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed β not independently audited.
Timeline Β· 16
launches, deals, and filingsQurient disclosed completed Phase 1 results for mocaciclib at ESMO 2026, presenting the strategic rationale for a Phase 2 combination trial.
QLi5 Therapeutics GmbH announced it received EUR 6.2576 million in funding from Qurient Co., Ltd. and R. Huber Family Office GmbH. Reporting in January 2026 described the EUR 6.26 million round as led by co-founder Qurient, which also increased its voting stake in the German biotech; proceeds are to advance QLi5's proteasome inhibitor-based ADC payload platform.
Qurient Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:A115180) was added to the S&P Global BMI Index.
Qurient Therapeutics entered a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. National Cancer Institute to collaborate on a Phase 1/2 clinical study of Q901 in combination with a TROP2-ADC.
Qurient announced it received KRW 5,999,997,188 in funding from Premier Partners, LLC; the transaction closed on 27 December 2023 and included individual investors Ki-yeon (237,868 shares), Yoo Chang-yeon (237,868 shares) and Byeon Young-han (118,934 shares).
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
βΈResearch sources Β· 5
primary sources listed
- Qurientqurient.com Β· web
5 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Qurient do?
- Korean biotech founded in 2008 that develops oncology and anti-infective drug candidates via a 'Network R&D' virtual model.
- Who are Qurient's investors?
- Qurient's investors include Atinum Investment Co. Ltd., LB Investment, Premier Partners.