Two AI-first biotech innovators join forces to co-develop novel small molecule therapeutics addressing chronic skin inflammation
Vancouver, BC – June 18, 2025 – Variational AI, developer of the Enki™ generative AI platform for drug discovery, today announced a co-development agreement with Oncocross (KRX:382150), a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Seoul, South Korea, to co-develop a novel small molecule inhibitor for chronic skin inflammation, with a focus on atopic dermatitis (AD).

The collaboration combines the complementary strengths of both companies: Oncocross’s RAPTOR AI™ platform, which has identified novel insights to treat atopic dermatitis, as well as Oncocross’ proven clinical development capabilities, and Variational AI’s Enki™ drug discovery platform, which will be used to generate and optimize novel small molecules with high potency, selectivity, and developability.
“This partnership exemplifies the power of combining biological insights with generative chemistry to unlock new therapeutic possibilities,” said Handol Kim, CEO of Variational AI. “Oncocross’s disease-first AI expertise is a perfect match for our chemistry-first generative AI approach. Together, we are setting the foundation for a truly innovative drug discovery program.”
“This agreement reflects our belief that strategic and focused collaboration is the key to solving difficult medical challenges,” added Dr. Yi Rang Kim, CEO of Oncocross. “Different parts of the drug discovery and development process require different AI. Partnering with Variational AI will enable both of us to focus on what we do best, and to rapidly translate our disease models into promising small molecule drugs.”
About Variational AI
Variational AI is redefining the unit economics of drug discovery through the power of generative AI. The founding machine learning (ML) team comes from leading AI research labs at Google, Microsoft, MIT, Caltech, and D-Wave Quantum working with established drug discovery leaders to develop Enki™, the industry-leading foundation model for small molecule drug discovery. Variational AI is based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and is actively hiring. For more information visit us at https://variational.ai or email us at info@variational.ai.
About Oncocross
Oncocross is an AI-powered drug development company using proprietary technologies like RAPTOR AI™, ONCO-RAPTOR AI™, and ONCOfind AI™ to drive therapeutic innovation across oncology, rare diseases, and inflammatory conditions. For more, visit www.oncocross.com.
Contact
info@variational.ai
+1 604-761-7199