IMNEWRUN was honored with the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST) Chairperson's Award in the Innovation Startup category. The awards ceremony took place during the ‘2026 Startup Nation Korea International Forum (STARTUP NATION KOREA 2026),’ which was held for two days, from the 17th to the 18th, at the Haedong Advanced Engineering Building (Building 303) on Seoul National University’s Gwanak Campus, evaluating unlisted companies established for more than three years. 

IMNEWRUN received high praise for its high degree of technical difficulty, strong barriers to entry, clear problem-solving capabilities in the market, and concrete strategic direction in its commercialization phase. In particular, the company’s next-generation blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetrating antibody platform was recognized as an exemplary case demonstrating both differentiated platform technology and scalability for clinical development and commercialization in the advanced bio-health and medical fields. 

"IMNEWRUN has won the Chairperson’s Award from the National Research Council of Science and Technology (NST) at the 2026 Innovation Startup Awards."

[STARTUP NATION KOREA 2026] Development of Next-Generation Blood-Brain Barrier Penetrating Technology 

IMNEWRUN is a biotechnology company developing blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetrating technology and central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics, addressing the most critical challenges in CNS drug development. Since its establishment in 2019, the company has built a robust CNS R&D ecosystem based on industry-academia convergence. Recently, it has been proving its technological competitiveness by entering into a collaboration and license agreement based on its TRANSMAB® BBB platform with a global pharmaceutical company. 

IMNEWRUN’s core technology, the TRANSMAB® platform, is a BBB shuttle that utilizes transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) to deliver antibody therapeutics to the brain. It is designed to increase brain delivery efficiency while preserving the intrinsic function of TfR1, aiming to simultaneously resolve the efficacy and safety issues that have limited existing BBB penetrating technologies. 

Based on this platform, the company is developing INR301, a novel therapeutic candidate for Alzheimer's disease. INR301 is a BBB-penetrating antibody drug targeting immune regulation pathways within the brain, offering new therapeutic potential for neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. IMNEWRUN has continuously strengthened its CNS drug development capabilities by expanding its R&D infrastructure and advancing its platform. Recently, the company successfully secured Pre-IPO funding, establishing a solid financial and operational foundation to accelerate pipeline development and foster global partnerships. 

Moving forward, IMNEWRUN plans to accelerate the development of treatments for various brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, based on its BBB platform technology, and aims to grow into a global biotechnology leader. 

Source: JoongAng Ilbo (https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25437432)