HLB Panagene introduced its peptide nucleic acid (PNA) technology at a conference specializing in oligonucleotides and peptides in the United States and discussed potential partnerships with global pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
HLB Panagene said Sept. 4 that it delivered the opening keynote presentation on PNA at the Oligonucleotide & Peptide Exchange 2026, held Sept. 3 in San Francisco.
The presentation covered PNA’s characteristics, including its binding strength and stability compared with conventional oligonucleotides, as well as its potential applications in research and new drug development.
Following the presentation, attendees raised questions about PNA’s potential applications in drug development, intracellular delivery and in vivo applications. Discussions also covered the potential for unintended gene expression effects compared with phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs), which are used in oligonucleotide therapeutics.
During the conference, HLB Panagene also held one-on-one meetings with global drug development companies and contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), together with ChemGenes, its PNA distribution partner in the United States. The company said the meetings focused on potential research and development and business collaboration opportunities involving PNA.
The company plans to use the conference as an opportunity to raise awareness of PNA technology in the U.S. market and expand opportunities for collaboration with local pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
Jang In-geun, CEO of HLB Panagene, said, “We confirmed that global drug development companies are showing interest in PNA’s technical characteristics and potential applications in new drug development. We will expand opportunities for PNA-based research and development collaboration and commercialization in the U.S. and global markets.”
HLB Panagene is a biotech venture company founded in 2001 that has developed biomaterials and molecular diagnostic technologies based on PNA, an artificial genetic material. The company began selling PNA oligomers worldwide in 2006 and expanded into molecular diagnostics in 2007 by adding the manufacturing and sale of genetic diagnostic chips to its business purposes.
The company was listed on the KOSDAQ in 2008 following a merger with Koram Panagene and changed its name to HLB Panagene in 2023 after joining HLB Group. It currently focuses on PNA materials and molecular diagnostics while expanding into drug development using PNA.
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