AI and advanced biotechnology are reshaping South Korea’s med-tech sector, but great technology alone is not enough to build a successful medical device company, speakers said at MedTech Innovator’s Medtech Spotlight: New Impact Korea 2026.
Soluble amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs) are known early drivers of Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis. Acumen Pharmaceuticals Inc. has recently presented data generated in the development and characterization of anti-AβO antibodies with high selectivity for AβO over Aβ monomers.
The first day of Bio-Europe Spring, being held for the first time in Lisbon this year, featured panels on the partnering landscape in specific indications, as well as a more general panel on “Piecing Together the Therapeutic Landscape with Analyst Insights.” One theme of the panel was that by and large, large companies are looking for deals with companies that fit with their existing programs – but that such a fit can come in many forms.
AI and advanced biotechnology are reshaping South Korea’s med-tech sector, but great technology alone is not enough to build a successful medical device company, speakers said at MedTech Innovator’s Medtech Spotlight: New Impact Korea 2026.
Oryon Cell Therapies, named after the Orion constellation used for navigation at night, emerged from stealth mode to announce a new round of funding and to present data from the phase Ib/IIa study of its neuron replacement therapy in patients with Parkinson’s disease at the 20th International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases.
Neuroinflammation has arisen as a key factor in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Chronic immune activation in the brain leads to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other inflammatory mediators that contribute to neuronal damage, thus impacting cognitive function during the progression of the disease. Transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses were performed to understand the epigenetic mechanisms behind the expression of inflammatory genes in AD brain.
Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare, often aggressive, neuroendocrine thyroid tumor with limited targeted treatment options, arising from calcitonin-producing C cells and sometimes associated with RET mutations. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic reported the potential of targeting DLL3 as a therapeutic strategy in MTC.
The aberrant activation of NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a known crucial driver of neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other related dementias. The inhibition of NLRP3 has shown benefits in preclinical models. Researchers from the University of Texas recently presented data regarding an NLRP3 inhibitor, AMS-17, for the treatment of AD and related dementias.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) involves the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons, particularly in the substantia nigra. This neurodegeneration is linked to the abnormal accumulation of α-synuclein, a protein that forms toxic aggregates and spreads between cells, damaging them. At the 20th International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases (AD/PD), held from March 17 to 21, 2026, in Copenhagen, several strategies were presented that aim to modify the course of the disease and offer real alternatives to purely symptomatic treatments.