진큐어

Zincure Corp (진큐어) is a Seoul-based biotechnology company founded in 2020 that develops therapeutics for acute ischemic brain injury and neurodegenerative disease. Its two stated mechanistic focuses are inhibiting toxic protein aggregation in degenerative brain disease and preventing blood-brain barrier breakdown in acute ischemic brain disease. The scientific basis is zinc neurobiology: the company describes intraneuronal zinc homeostasis as important to neurotransmission and cell survival, with lowered zinc concentrations and impaired lysosomal function implicated in degenerative brain disease, while noting that zinc concentrations are tightly regulated and can be cytotoxic if mishandled.

The disclosed pipeline comprises ZCS1, a peptide oligomer lysosome activator in preclinical stage for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); ZCS2, a peptide oligomer lysosome activator applied to a skin-whitening cosmetic co-developed with Cellac Bio and described as on sale; and ZCC1, a small-molecule selective MMP-9 inhibitor at candidate stage for stroke. For stroke, the company's approach is selective inhibition of MMP-9, the enzyme it describes as excessively activated during stroke and responsible for blood-brain barrier destruction, with the stated aim of avoiding brain edema and hemorrhagic side effects and extending the treatment window of existing therapies. For ALS, the approach is direct activation of v-ATPase to regulate lysosomal pH and restore degradative capacity of damaged lysosomes, clearing toxic aggregates such as TDP-43 and SOD1. The company also reports developing small molecules that inhibit zinc-mediated toxicity for acute brain injury and multiple sclerosis.

The ALS program's lead molecule is described as a peptide complex of 13 amino acids, partially modified, that enters cells via a receptor-mediated route and delivers zinc to the lysosome, activating lysosome-mediated autophagy; the company reports oral-administration pharmacokinetic properties and blood-brain barrier penetration. In an ALS mouse model the company reported reduced accumulation of toxic brain proteins and extended survival.

Founding story

Zincure was established in 2020 according to the company's website. Trade press reports the company was founded in 2021 by Jae-Young Koh (고재영), professor of neurology at Asan Medical Center, and Yang-Hee Kim (김양희), professor of bioconvergence engineering at Sejong University, both described as specialists in zinc neurobiology. Sangwon Chung (정상원), a former CEO of the game company Nexon, subsequently joined as chief executive. Koh serves as Chief Science Officer and Kim as Chief Technical Officer; medicinal chemistry director Won-Geun Jeong (정원근) is also cited as part of the leadership team.

Business model

Preclinical-stage drug development. Programs are advanced in-house with academic and hospital collaborators and supported by Korean government R&D programs; one peptide asset (ZCS2) has been applied outside therapeutics as a co-developed cosmetic ingredient with a commercial partner.

The website lists ZCS2, a peptide oligomer lysosome activator applied to a skin-whitening cosmetic co-developed with Cellac Bio, as on sale. Therapeutic programs are preclinical and the company reports receiving government R&D funding through the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF) and the TIPS program.

Traction

The ALS lysosome-activator candidate was selected in July 2023 for candidate-stage support under Korea's national Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF), providing two years of R&D funding toward nomination of a preclinical candidate. The company was previously selected for a TIPS program project in 2021. Preclinical data reported by the company include reduced toxic protein accumulation and extended survival in an ALS mouse model, plus oral PK and blood-brain barrier penetration for the peptide. ZCS2 has reached commercial sale as a cosmetic ingredient co-developed with Cellac Bio.

Latest developments

In July 2023 the company announced that its low-molecular-weight peptide lysosome-activator ALS candidate had been selected as a candidate-stage support project by the Korea Drug Development Fund, with two years of R&D funding aimed at deriving a preclinical candidate. Management stated it would focus on lysosome activation as the core of autophagy-mediated toxic protein clearance for an ALS drug and then expand to other degenerative diseases.