Antibody drug discovery company Novelty Nobility joins Johnson & Johnson JLABS Korea

The JLABS programme is available in 11 locations across the globe, with in-person and virtual options for North America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Image credit: ©Panupat – stock.adobe.com

Novelty Nobility, a Korean antibody drug discovery company, recently announced it has been selected to join JLABS Korea.¹ JLABS, part of Johnson & Johnson’s global incubator network, supports startups in their efforts by offering access to expertise, development resources, strategic partnerships, as well as investor networks in the healthcare space.

Specialising in advanced modality antibody drugs, as part of JLABS Korea, Novelty Nobility will focus on developing two antibody candidates, according to a press release:

1. NN4101: a bispecific antibody candidate to target c-Kit and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for vascular retinal diseases
2. NN3206: an antibody-drug conjugate (ACD) candidate to target Pan-RAS-mutated solid tumours.

The JLABS programme is available in 11 locations across the globe, including China, the United Kingdom, Canada, and throughout the United States. There are also virtual residencies in Korea, Singapore and a regional residency for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Park Sang-gyu, chief executive officer of Novelty Nobility, said in a press release the company will “leverage” JLABS Korea to “enhance the competitiveness of [the company’s] early-stage follow-up on pipeline in the global market.”

Novelty Nobility’s pipeline targets therapeutic areas such as immune disorders, cancer and ophthalmic diseases that can utilise antibody treatments.

Two separate institutions awarded Novelty Nobility A grades in July 2024 in the technical evaluation for a special listing on the Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ). The company has also recently filed a preliminary listing application.

“We are committed to advancing our pipeline and achieving meaningful business outcomes through collaborative research with global pharmaceutical companies,” Sang-gyu said in a press release.

References:

1. Sook H. Novelty Nobility joins Johnson & Johnson’s JLABS Korea to advance antibody drug pipeline. KBR. Published April 8, 2025. Accessed April 9, 2025. https://www.koreabiomed.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=27206