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Industry Cooperation
- Publish Date：2025-07-02
NYCU and LIBO Pharma Launch AI-Driven Drug Discovery Initiative to Accelerate Cancer Treatment Development
Dr. Henry Liu (right), CEO of LIBO Pharma, and NYCU President Chi-Hung Lin (left) sign an MOU to advance AI-powered clinical trials for cancer therapies. (Photo credit: LIBO Pharma)
Edited by Chance Lai
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In a landmark move toward AI-powered medical innovation, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) and LIBO Pharma signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on July 1 to launch a collaborative initiative on artificial intelligence–driven drug discovery. The partnership aims to accelerate the development and clinical translation of cancer therapies by integrating AI technologies into the pharmaceutical R&D pipeline.
The signing ceremony brought together representatives from leading tech and biotech firms—including NVIDIA, Daiwa Corporate Investment (Japan), GeneOnline, VesCir Ltd., and Phison Electronics—highlighting the cross-disciplinary momentum behind this strategic alliance.
Pioneering Immunotherapy Through AI-Enhanced Collaboration
“NYCU brings deep research strength in AI, systems biology, and biomedical engineering—particularly in disease modeling, clinical data simulation, and drug mechanism prediction,” said Dr. Henry Liu, CEO of LIBO Pharma. “By leveraging these capabilities, we hope to shorten trial timelines, enhance predictive accuracy of drug efficacy, and ultimately speed up regulatory approval for novel therapies that benefit more patients.”
Founded in 2017, LIBO Pharma has made significant strides in developing first-in-class immunotherapy drugs. Its most advanced candidate, targeting cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), has completed Phase II trials and received orphan drug designation in both the U.S. and EU. A global Phase III clinical trial is expected to launch by the end of this year.
The signing ceremony brought together representatives from leading tech and biotech firms—including NVIDIA, Daiwa Corporate Investment (Japan), GeneOnline, VesCir Ltd., and Phison Electronics—highlighting the cross-disciplinary momentum behind this strategic alliance.
Pioneering Immunotherapy Through AI-Enhanced Collaboration
“NYCU brings deep research strength in AI, systems biology, and biomedical engineering—particularly in disease modeling, clinical data simulation, and drug mechanism prediction,” said Dr. Henry Liu, CEO of LIBO Pharma. “By leveraging these capabilities, we hope to shorten trial timelines, enhance predictive accuracy of drug efficacy, and ultimately speed up regulatory approval for novel therapies that benefit more patients.”
Founded in 2017, LIBO Pharma has made significant strides in developing first-in-class immunotherapy drugs. Its most advanced candidate, targeting cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), has completed Phase II trials and received orphan drug designation in both the U.S. and EU. A global Phase III clinical trial is expected to launch by the end of this year.
Advancing the AI University Vision: From Innovation to Precision Medicine
For NYCU, the collaboration reinforces its strategic transformation into an “AI University.” President Chi-Hung Lin, who signed the MoU on behalf of NYCU, emphasized the broader institutional vision: “Last year, NYCU and NVIDIA jointly established the NVIDIA-NYCU Innovation Center. Our efforts were also recognized by NVIDIA founder Jensen Huang, who identified NYCU as a key driver in AI innovation. This partnership with LIBO Pharma is a major step in applying AI to precision medicine.”
Professor Chia-Wei Sun, Director of NYCU’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering, echoed this sentiment: “AI can do more than analyze molecular structures—it can transform drug design using large language models. By converting compounds into tokenized formats for generative optimization, we’re redefining both the logic and pace of new drug development.”
Looking ahead, both parties plan to expand the scope of their collaboration to include technology commercialization and global market integration. The goal: to build a Taiwan-based model for AI-driven drug development that provides more effective treatment options for patients worldwide.
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