People Bio

PeopleBio Inc. is a South Korean biotechnology company established in February 2002 by CEO Sungmin Kang. The company specializes in developing and manufacturing diagnostic products for neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's. After years of research, PeopleBio launched its core technology, the Multimer Detection System (MDS), which forms the basis of its diagnostic tests. A significant milestone was achieved in April 2018 when its blood diagnostic kit for Alzheimer's, which measures oligomerized amyloid-beta levels, received approval as a class II medical device from South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The company went public on the KOSDAQ market in October 2020.

The company's primary business revolves around its blood-based diagnostic tests that offer a less invasive and more accessible alternative to traditional methods like cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis or PET scans. The main product, the OAβ test, branded as 'AlzOn', is designed for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease by analyzing a small blood sample. It selectively measures the oligomerization of beta-amyloid, a key pathological biomarker of the disease, even before symptoms appear. The test operates on PeopleBio's proprietary Multimer Detection System (MDS) technology, which uses an ELISA-based method with overlapping epitopes to specifically detect protein multimers, distinguishing them from monomers. This technology has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for predicting Alzheimer's. The business model is centered on selling these diagnostic kits and automated systems to medical institutions; its 'AlzOn' test has been introduced to over 700 hospitals and clinics. The company is also expanding its technological applications to diagnose other protein-misfolding diseases like Parkinson's.

Under the leadership of founder and CEO Sungmin Kang, PeopleBio aims to build an ecosystem for the comprehensive management of degenerative brain diseases, from early diagnosis to prevention and treatment. The company has pursued this vision by establishing subsidiaries like Neurobionet for antibody treatment development and acquiring firms like PharmacoBio for developing natural product-based treatments. Despite facing financial challenges, including continuous deficits since its public listing, the company has secured significant investments to ensure financial stability and support its growth and market expansion plans, both domestically and internationally.

Keywords: Alzheimer's diagnosis, blood test, neurodegenerative diseases, diagnostic kit, Multimer Detection System, beta-amyloid oligomers, early detection, protein misfolding, biotechnology, medical device, dementia diagnostics, Parkinson's disease, in-vitro diagnostics, Sungmin Kang, KOSDAQ, molecular diagnostics, ELISA, biomarker detection, HealthTech, clinical diagnostics