ILIAS Biologics
ILIAS Biologics is a clinical-stage South Korean biotech developing engineered exosome therapeutics using its proprietary EXPLOR®, Exo-Target®, and Pure-Exo® platforms. Its lead asset ILB-202 targets inflammatory diseases via intracellular NF-κB inhibition, with pipeline expansion into oncology, CNS, and women's health.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersDaejeon, South Korea
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What ILIAS Biologics does
ILIAS Biologics is a clinical-stage South Korean biotechnology company founded in 2015, headquartered in Daejeon with a US operating subsidiary (ILIAS Therapeutics, Inc.) in Gilroy, California. The company specializes in engineered exosomes for intracellular delivery of large protein therapeutics, built around three proprietary platforms: EXPLOR® (an optogenetically controlled, optically reversible protein-protein interaction system that loads functionally active cargo proteins — including intracellular antibodies, organelle-targeted proteins, and gene-editing proteins — into exosomes in free-form), Exo-Target® (surface-engineered exosomes that improve active tissue targeting and enable cross-barrier protein delivery, including blood-brain barrier penetration), and Pure-Exo® (a GMP-compliant manufacturing process featuring Master Cell Bank development, bioreactor-based suspension culture, sequential ultrafiltration and chromatography purification, and GMP formulation/filling).
The company's lead clinical asset, ILB-202, is an exosome loaded with super-repressor IκB (srIκB) designed to inhibit the intracellular NF-κB signaling pathway for inflammatory and autoimmune indications including acute kidney injury, sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, biliary atresia, and alcohol-associated liver disease. ILB-202 completed a Phase 1 clinical trial in Australia in 2023–2024, demonstrating safety, tolerability, and selective NF-κB pathway modulation, with results published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles in September 2025. Pipeline expansion extends into oncology (via the June 2022 JW Pharmaceutical collaboration on small-molecule anti-cancer exosomes), CNS diseases, and women's health through the July 2025 IL WHT subsidiary (focused on endometriosis and chorioamnionitis, backed by the 2025 KDDF National New Drug Development Project).
The business model is a hybrid of platform licensing and co-development with pharmaceutical partners, supplemented by a contract research service (EV2aluation, launched October 2022) and an open-innovation collaboration platform (VOICE). Revenue is pre-commercial, with no approved products. The company has raised approximately $37M+ in disclosed equity across Series A ($17M, 2018), Series B ($20M, 2020), and Series C (undisclosed, 2022), supported by non-dilutive government and grant funding (NIH R21, KDDF, Ministry of Health and Welfare, KBIOHealth, MFDS Bio Challenger Program). Patents are granted across the US, Korea, Japan, China, Australia, Canada, and Israel.
ILIAS Biologics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ILIAS Biologics
- Legal name
- ILIAS Biologics Inc.
- Website
- https://iliasbio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- ILIAS Biologics is a clinical-stage South Korean biotech developing engineered exosome therapeutics using its proprietary EXPLOR®, Exo-Target®, and Pure-Exo® platforms. Its lead asset ILB-202 targets inflammatory diseases via intracellular NF-κB inhibition, with pipeline expansion into oncology, CNS, and women's health.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ILIAS Biologics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Exosome Therapeutics
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (32541)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Regenerative Immunology & Inflammation Modulation (pro-regenerative biologics) (HLAAAGAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cell Therapy Enabling Technologies (gene editing, cell engineering, delivery methods) (HLAAABAL), Exosome & Extracellular Vesicle (EV) Therapeutics (HLAMANAE)
Keywords
Where ILIAS Biologics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Daejeon
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
ILIAS Biologics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Therapeutic Development and Commercialization: Development and commercialization of exosome-based therapeutics through proprietary platform technologies. Lead program ILB-202 is in clinical development for inflammatory diseases. Revenue expected through product sales upon regulatory approval.
- Platform Licensing and Co-development: Platform-based research and option agreements for technology licensing to pharmaceutical partners. In-house asset licensing with robust development of in-house pipelines. Co-development of exosome-based therapeutics through research collaboration and option agreements with novel therapeutic cargo and tissue/organ targeting capabilities.
- Contract Research Services: EV2aluation service offered starting October 2022, providing exosome evaluation services to external partners.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
ILIAS Biologics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ILIAS Biologics develops engineered exosome-based therapeutics through proprietary platform technologies (EXPLOR®, Exo-Target®, Pure-Exo®) that enable intracellular delivery of large protein therapeutics such as antibodies. The lead clinical candidate ILB-202 delivers super-repressor IκB to target NF-κB signaling for inflammatory diseases, with additional pipeline programs in oncology and CNS indications, supplemented by the EV2aluation exosome characterization service.
Product overview
ILIAS Biologics is a global biopharmaceutical company developing engineered exosome-based therapeutics through its proprietary platform technologies: EXPLOR® for intracellular protein loading, Exo-Target® for targeted delivery, and Pure-Exo® for scalable manufacturing. The company's lead product is ILB-202, an exosome containing super-repressor IκB for treating inflammatory diseases. They also offer the EV2aluation service for exosome characterization and maintain VOICE, an open innovation research collaboration platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- IL WHT (ILIAS Women's Health Therapeutics): Dedicated subsidiary focused on developing innovative exosome-based treatments specifically targeting obstetric and gynecological disorders.
Products and services
- ILB-202
Quantifiable outcome
- Phase 1 clinical trial demonstrated ILB-202 was safe and well tolerated with no discontinuation, no serious adverse events, and no adverse events of special interest
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use ILIAS Biologics
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
ILIAS Biologics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ILIAS Biologics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Daejeon TechnoparkminorTrilateral MOU with Daejeon Metropolitan Government and California-based biotech media firm BioCentury to establish channel connecting local biotech companies with global investors and pharmaceutical partners. Includes investor relations pitching session.
- Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF)coreSelected for 2025 Second National New Drug Development Project for exosome-based endometriosis treatment. KDDF provides research funds over two years for non-clinical development and clinical trial plan approval (IND).
- KBIOHealth (Osong Medical Innovation Foundation)coreSelected for 2025 Advanced Medical Industry Leading Infrastructure Demonstration Support Program funded by Ministry of Health and Welfare. KBIOHealth supports GMP-compliant production and quality validation of ILB-202, including manufacturing and quality evaluation of Working Cell Bank, GMP process development, and quality verification.
- Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) - Bio Challenger ProgramcoreSelected for 2025 Bio Challenger program led by MFDS. Program provides tailored regulatory and development support from preclinical to clinical trial and market approval stages, including scientific consultation, regulatory guidance, and clinical design support.
- Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF)coreSelected as winner of 2022 KDDF National New Drug Development Project to develop exosome-based IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) treatment. KDDF provides research funding and support for the project.
- JW PharmaceuticalcoreCollaborative research agreement to develop an exosome-based small molecular anti-cancer treatment. ILIAS contributes its exosome platform technology while JW Pharmaceutical contributes small molecular anti-cancer compounds and drug development expertise.
- HK inno.NcoreMOU for joint research to develop new biomedicine candidates using exosomes as next-generation drug delivery systems. Combines ILIAS's versatile exosome platform technologies with HK inno.N's extensive new drug development know-how.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
ILIAS Biologics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Capricor Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biotech developing exosome-based therapeutics (CAP-1002, CAP-2003) for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and inflammatory diseases. Directly comparable as a clinical-stage exosome therapeutics company targeting inflammatory indications with engineered extracellular vesicles.
- Evox Therapeutics: UK-based developer of engineered exosomes for intracellular delivery of nucleic acids and proteins, with focus on CNS and rare diseases. Closest direct competitor with proprietary exosome engineering platform comparable to ILIAS's EXPLOR® and Exo-Target® technologies.
- Codiak BioSciences: Pioneer in engineered exosome therapeutics (exoIL-12, exoSTING) for oncology. Most advanced exosome platform historically with clinical-stage programs. Provides key reference for exosome therapeutic clinical development and regulatory pathway despite Codiak's 2023 restructuring.
- Cellivery Therapeutics: Korean-based clinical-stage biotech developing intracellular protein delivery using cell-penetrating technology for inflammatory and CNS indications. Closest Korean peer with comparable intracellular delivery focus and inflammatory disease pipeline (similar to ILB-202's NF-κB approach).
Regional players
- ExoCoBio: South Korean exosome company developing regenerative aesthetics and therapeutics. Regional peer sharing Korean biotech ecosystem, government support programs, and exosome manufacturing infrastructure. Direct overlap in inflammation/regenerative applications.
Emerging players
- Arcturus Therapeutics: Clinical-stage RNA medicines company with proprietary lipid nanoparticle delivery platform (LUNAR®). Comparable as a delivery-platform biotech with intracellular delivery focus, though using LNP technology vs. ILIAS's exosome approach. Validates market for advanced intracellular delivery therapeutics.
- Mantra Bio: Developer of exosome-based therapeutics for targeted drug delivery, including CNS applications. Emerging peer with overlapping focus on engineered exosomes for hard-to-treat diseases and blood-brain barrier penetration.
Broad incumbents
- Roivant Sciences: Large biotech holding company with multiple platform technologies and inflammation/autoimmune assets. Comparable as a publicly-traded company developing inflammation therapeutics that could be a potential acquirer or licensing partner for ILB-202.
- Bio-Techne: Established life sciences tools and reagents company including exosome research products (ExoDx prostate test, exosome isolation kits). Provides adjacent ecosystem support and reference for exosome-related commercialization, though focused on tools rather than therapeutics.
Others
- JW Pharmaceutical: South Korean pharmaceutical company and existing ILIAS Biologics partner for exosome-based anti-cancer treatment development (2022 collaboration). Strategic partner and potential acquirer with established small-molecule oncology pipeline seeking biologics platform extension.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ILIAS Biologics social profiles
Digital presenceILIAS Biologics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ILIAS Biologics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
ILIAS Biologics subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
ILIAS Biologics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ILIAS Biologics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ILIAS Biologics
What does ILIAS Biologics do?
ILIAS Biologics develops engineered exosome-based therapeutics through proprietary platform technologies (EXPLOR®, Exo-Target®, Pure-Exo®) that enable intracellular delivery of large protein therapeutics such as antibodies. The lead clinical candidate ILB-202 delivers super-repressor IκB to target NF-κB signaling for inflammatory diseases, with additional pipeline programs in oncology and CNS indications, supplemented by the EV2aluation exosome characterization service.
Is ILIAS Biologics a public or private company?
ILIAS Biologics is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was ILIAS Biologics founded?
ILIAS Biologics was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is ILIAS Biologics based?
ILIAS Biologics is headquartered in Daejeon, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does ILIAS Biologics make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Therapeutic Development and Commercialization is the primary driver. The others are platform Licensing and Co-development and contract Research Services.
Who are ILIAS Biologics's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Capricor Therapeutics, Evox Therapeutics, Codiak BioSciences and Cellivery Therapeutics. ExoCoBio is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Arcturus Therapeutics and Mantra Bio. Broad incumbents are Roivant Sciences and Bio-Techne. JW Pharmaceutical is listed as an others.
Does ILIAS Biologics have an API?
No public API is recorded for ILIAS Biologics.
What industry is ILIAS Biologics in?
ILIAS Biologics's product category is Exosome Therapeutics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAGAL, Regenerative Immunology & Inflammation Modulation (pro-regenerative biologics), with a secondary code of HLAAABAL, Cell Therapy Enabling Technologies (gene editing, cell engineering, delivery methods). Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 2836.