CN Bio strengthens Asia push with South Korea alliance
The agreement is the latest milestone in Cambridge-based CN Bio’s international expansion, amplifying the company’s presence in major Asian and Pacific markets and broadening access to its predictive human organ models.
Pharmaceutical and biotech companies are recognising the potential of non-animal, new approach methodologies (NAMs) to improve preclinical efficacy and safety data generation in drug discovery and development workflows, leading to reduced failure rates of new drug candidates.
In this pioneering field, the market is rapidly evolving in line with breaking regulatory developments, most recently the FDA announcing a shift toward human-relevant methods for drug development, replacing animal testing in the evaluation of monoclonal antibody therapies and other drugs.
Central to the company’s ongoing growth strategy, CN Bio is establishing regional supply networks through specialist distribution partners to address growing demand for its FDA-recognised PhysioMimix® OOC System and solutions.
With the surge in South Korea’s biotech sector, driven by a series of billion-dollar licensing deals in early 2025 and the announcement of a new fund to support high-tech industries, the agreement with SCINCO uniquely positions CN Bio to support and expand operations in this high growth market. The partnership complements the company’s wider network in the APAC region, including recently appointed Japanese distributor, Primetech.
CN Bio’s industry-leading benchtop PhysioMimix OOC range accurately mimics human physiology in the lab. Using advanced in vitro human organ models, these systems enable more accurate predictions of human drug responses to support the development of novel therapeutics with increased efficiency, whilst relieving the dependence on animal studies.
These models provide insights into crucial aspects of preclinical drug development, including drug bioavailability, toxicology and disease modelling, providing information on how drugs will perform in patients and reduce the risk of costly late-stage failures in the clinic.
Soo Min Choi, Director, SCINCO, says: “Our dual-approach covering in-house development and the distribution of high-quality equipment from international manufacturers ensures we offer a comprehensive range of solutions to meet the diverse needs of all researchers, while leveraging unique insights to understand the scientific business landscape.
“The global NAM market is growing at a rapid pace and to maintain the increased momentum across our industry, we believe adoption of these tools will become essential. We’re excited to be a part of the movement to bring CN Bio’s next-generation OOC solutions to the South Korean market.”
Dr Paul Brooks, CEO, CN Bio, said: “Recent regulatory updates from the FDA are fuelling a rapidly growing, global interest in human-relevant alternatives in drug development. Recognising this, we are progressing an ambitious growth strategy to respond to market demand and put in place essential sales and support channels to ensure we remain ahead of the curve in addressing customers’ research needs.
“Partnering with SCINCO is an exciting development, allowing us to draw upon the team’s unique insights into the scientific and business landscape in South Korea to provide a strong footing as we expand further in the APAC region.”