While biopharmaceutical technologies have made substantial strides in treating diseases, drug research and development continue to face a multitude of obstacles, such as complex methodologies, high R&D costs, limited target options, and poor translational efficacy. This is particularly relevant for gene or RNA-level abnormalities, which are not effectively addressed by protein-targeting therapeutics, limiting their clinical impact.
The rapid advancement in RNA biology has triggered a surge of interest and investment from pharmaceutical companies and the capital markets, accelerating the explosive growth of the RNA therapeutic sector. InFocus Therapeutics is leading this momentum, combining AI with RNA science to create the world's first and currently only "RNA-targeted small molecule drug generation platform." In just four months, InFocus successfully generated two series of drug candidates for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and advanced them to the animal efficacy and toxicity testing phase, demonstrating exceptional research and development efficiency.
According to Emily Fang, CEO and founder of InFocus Therapeutics, the traditional drug development method is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and marked by a low success rate. In recent years, major pharmaceutical companies have poured significant resources into RNA-based therapies. Yet, a lack of innovative R&D strategies continues to limit their potential. On the other hand, most AI startups struggle to deliver true breakthroughs in this domain, largely due to a lack of real-world experience in early drug discovery and the complex process of transforming molecules into clinically viable, patentable drug candidates.
InFocus rapidly gained traction by leveraging the team's deep expertise in AI and RNA technology, the discovery of novel chemical entities that differentiate from competitors and existing marketed drugs. In just four months, they identified two sets of promising therapeutic candidates, an achievement unmatched in the industry and now a key competitive advantage.
40x Faster R&D Efficiency: Unlocking the Power of RNA-Targeted Medicines
Founded in 2023, InFocus Therapeutics specializes in the development of small-molecule chemical drugs that directly target RNA, an area poised to reshape modern therapeutics. The company brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts spanning molecular biology, AI algorithms, finance, and RNA drug discovery. Designed to tackle high-impact, hard-to-treat conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases and metastatic cancers, InFocus has built a proprietary RNA-targeted small molecule drug generation platform that integrates advanced AI algorithms and specialized databases to automate the lead discovery process, from molecular design and generative chemistry to structure prediction and experimental validation. The result: a breakthrough platform that delivers up to 40 times greater R&D efficiency, rapidly uncovering best-in-class drug candidates far beyond the reach of conventional methods.
Using spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) as a case study, InFocus's platform efficiently identified two promising compounds, IFT-0000002 and IFT-0000003, within a remarkably short timeframe. Both compounds demonstrated strong biological activity, good oral absorption, and toxicological profiles, establishing a solid foundation for further development. CEO Emily Fang highlighted that the InFocus platform achieves a 40% success rate in RNA-targeted drug development, far surpassing the typical ~1% success rate of traditional small-molecule drug development. This high efficiency represents a core competitive advantage for the company.
Raising Capital to Accelerate Pipeline Expansion
InFocus is currently raising a US$1 million angel round to support critical next steps. The funds will be deployed to complete the preclinical development and animal studies for the SMA program, and to launch R&D on two new RNA-targeted cancer programs for drug-resistant prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. These efforts will significantly expand the depth and breadth of the platform's therapeutic reach.
Commitment to Establish and Grow Taiwan as a Clinical Hub for Strategic Collaborations
Taiwan boasts a comprehensive health insurance system, a world-class medical system, a highly digitized medical record system, and a plethora of clinical research capabilities. It has long been the favored site for clinical trials for international pharmaceutical corporations. InFocus Therapeutics views Taiwan as a key launchpad for clinical collaboration and regional expansion, and plans to set up a subsidiary in 2025. It will engage with the company's proposed clinical trial application framework for 2026 and formally commence the product's admission into the clinical validation phase, while also accelerating the recruitment of local talent and partnering with clinical collaborators.
Emily shared that when seeking collaboration opportunities in Taiwan, she fortuitously connected with Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) and joined its startup incubation program. InFocus gained valuable support and mentoring resources from the Mosaic accelerator, laying the groundwork for future investment and global market expansion. "Soon after our partnership with TTA, we engaged in the 2024 Founder Pitch event, which markedly improved our visibility and fostered connections within the investment community."
Alongside its R&D milestones, InFocus is actively expanding its international investor network via TTA, aiming to accelerate the completion of its angel round fundraising and reinforce InFocus's leadership position in RNA-targeted small molecule therapeutics. With its AI-powered platform, high development success rate, and global footprint, InFocus is charting the path toward long-term growth in one of biotech's most promising frontiers.
InFocus-BFMTV: InFocus founder Emily Fang was interviewed by renowned economist Nicolas Doze on BFM Business, France's number one financial news channel, and announced that it had received the Sanofi-sponsored 2024 Oncology "Golden Ticket" prize.
InFocus Lab in a Loop: InFocus's proprietary artificial intelligence RNA drug discovery technology can generate high clinical potential therapeutic candidates targeting pathogenic RNA within a few months.
Article edited by Jack Wu