What MediSpan does

MediSpan Co., Ltd. is a South Korean preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in August 2020 by Dr. KyungA Cho, a Seoul National University PhD and 20+ year aging researcher based at Chonnam National University Medical School. Headquartered in Pangyo, Gyeonggi-do, with a corporate-affiliated Geroscience Research Center in Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, the company develops drug candidates that target immunosenescence, the age-related decline of immune function, rather than individual age-related diseases. Its core technology is a TLR5 (Toll-like Receptor 5) agonist built on human-microbiome-derived modified flagellin engineered without the D2-D3 antigenic domains, enabling mucosal immune activation without the inflammation and immunogenicity that complicated earlier flagellin-based therapeutics. The pipeline comprises MSP-102 (anti-aging and vaccine adjuvant, targeted for 2025 clinical entry), MSP-306 (an extended half-life variant for NASH, liver fibrosis, IPF, and radiation exposure), and MSP-201 (an oncology candidate using the same mucosal immune activation platform). Preclinical work has produced 8-13% lifespan extension in aged mice, hair-color preservation in equivalents of 50-60 human years, and bone-marrow stem-cell recovery, published in Nature Communications (January 2024, with Altos Labs' Manuel Serrano as co-author) and Aging Cell (February 2025). MSP-102 became the first TLR5-based adjuvant and first Korean entry registered in the US NIAID Vaccine Adjuvant Compendium in 2024.

MediSpan is pre-revenue and operates without commercialized products, deriving operating capital from institutional equity, Korean government grants, and development milestone payments rather than from product sales. Cumulative funding of approximately 85 billion KRW (seed/Pre-Series A combined ~85B KRW plus Series A of 65B KRW from DSC Investment, Starset Investment, and Tigris Investment) has been supplemented by TIPS support (5B KRW), KDDF National Novel Drug Project backing for MSP-306's NASH program, and GVL vaccine-development funding of 15.8B KRW of a 21.1B KRW total project. Manufacturing is executed through a CDMO agreement with Samsung Biologics for MSP-306 clinical supplies, and the company has stated it intends to monetize via global technology licensing and co-development partnerships with pharmaceutical companies rather than building a salesforce. Direct customer relationships are limited to government research programs (TIPS, KDDF, GVL, Baby Unicorn 200) and institutional research collaborations (NIAID with Duke, Stanford, and UC Irvine; Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Science; Rapas; Altos Labs). The company holds granted US and Korean composition-of-matter patents on modified flagellin TLR5 agonists.

Customer-facing engagement is primarily upstream: scientific credibility is built through peer-reviewed publications in Nature Communications and Aging Cell, keynote and session-chair roles at BIO KOREA 2025, BIOPLUS-INTERPHEX KOREA (BIX) 2025, Seoul Seniors Forum 2025, and the Ulysseus Research Summit in Nice, plus NIAID/CDC/WHO/Gates Foundation webinar appearances, and KBS1 documentary features. Within an addressable global geroscience drug market the company sizes at USD 675B (2019) growing to USD 1,143B by 2027, MediSpan is one of a small set of private players targeting immunosenescence through a TLR5 mechanism rather than rapamycin analogs, metformin, senolytics, or stem cells. Capital efficiency is anchored on the founder-CEO's academic platform, a scientific advisory board including Michael Karin (UC San Diego, co-founder of Celgene predecessor Signal Pharmaceutical) and Sangchul Park (former SAIT Well-aging Research Center Director), and a roughly 30-person team reported across multiple time frames.

Name

MediSpan

Legal name

MediSpan

Website

https://medispan.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MediSpan is a South Korean preclinical biotech developing TLR5 agonist drug candidates (MSP-102, MSP-306, MSP-201) based on modified flagellin to treat immunosenescence, age-related diseases, and to serve as a vaccine adjuvant for global pharmaceutical and government partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anti-aging Biopharmaceuticals

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Immunology & Autoimmune Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAB)

Keywords

• Immunosenescence therapeutics
• TLR5 agonists
• Anti-aging biotechnology
• Vaccine adjuvants
• Geroscience drug development

Headquarters

HQ city

Seongnam

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Drug Development and Licensing: Pre-revenue biotech developing novel drugs targeting immunosenescence. Revenue expected from technology licensing, co-development deals with pharmaceutical partners, and milestone payments from drug development programs (MSP-102, MSP-306).
2. Government Grants and Research Funding: Company receives significant funding from Korean government programs including TIPS, KDDF, GVL, Baby Unicorn 200, and global vaccine programs. Supports R&D operations while maintaining ownership of developed technologies.
3. CDMO and Manufacturing Partnerships: Contract development and manufacturing partnerships with companies like Samsung Biologics for clinical sample production. May generate revenue through manufacturing services or supply agreements.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MediSpan is a pre-clinical biopharmaceutical R&D company developing TLR5 agonist drug candidates that target immunosenescence — the age-related decline of immune function — to treat aging-related diseases and extend healthy lifespan. Its pipeline includes MSP-102 (anti-aging and nasal vaccine adjuvant), MSP-306 (NASH, liver fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, radiation exposure), and MSP-201 (age-related oncology). The company is pre-revenue and monetizes through technology licensing, co-development deals with pharmaceutical partners, and government research grants.

Product overview

MediSpan is an anti-aging biopharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of drug candidates based on its proprietary mucosal immune activation technology. The core platform utilizes modified flagellin (TLR5 agonist) derived from human microbiome to stimulate mucosal immunity. Key pipeline products include MSP-102 (anti-aging and vaccine adjuvant for nasal administration), MSP-306 (NASH/IPF/liver fibrosis treatment with extended half-life), and MSP-201 (oncology). The company focuses on treating immunosenescence and age-related diseases through immune modulation rather than traditional anti-aging approaches. Founded in 2020 by Dr. KyungA Cho, MediSpan has partnerships with Samsung Biologics for manufacturing and collaborates with NIAID on vaccine adjuvant development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MSP-102

Quantifiable outcome

• 10% lifespan extension in aged mice studies
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Science (원자력의학원)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Preparing joint development of MSP-306 as radiation exposure treatment. Company sees MSP-306 as promising candidate for radiation-induced damage therapeutics.
• US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MediSpan's MSP-102 officially registered in NIAID's Vaccine Adjuvant Compendium as the only foreign company and first TLR5-based adjuvant. Participates in NIAID's Adjuvant Comparison & Characterization (AAC) program evaluating vaccine adjuvants for next-generation vaccines. NIAID actively supports and promotes MediSpan's technology internationally.
• Bali Pulendran (Stanford University)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NIAID-proposed collaboration with Stanford Professor Bali Pulendran on next-generation nasal adjuvant development using MSP-102 for aging and infectious disease applications. Professor Pulendran is a leading immunology expert advocating for the development of next-generation immunopotentiators.
• RapasminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Joint research collaboration with Rapas to develop MSP-102 for senile and male pattern alopecia using micro-needle patch delivery system. Fastest-to-market potential among pipeline applications.
• Duke UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023One of three NIAID-selected evaluation institutions for Adjuvant Comparison & Characterization program. Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) completed for MSP-102 evaluation studies.
• University of California IrvinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023One of three NIAID-selected evaluation institutions for Adjuvant Comparison & Characterization program. Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) completed for MSP-102 evaluation studies.
• Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022MSP-306 selected for National Novel Drug Development Project providing government research funding for NASH treatment development. 2-year research funding support for TLR5-targeted NASH therapeutics development.
• Samsung BiologicscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) partnership for MSP-306 development. Samsung Biologics contracted for clinical sample manufacturing and supply to support clinical development timeline.
• Altos Lab (Manuel Serrano)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Collaboration with Altos Lab founder Manuel Serrano on aging research. Dr. Serrano initially proposed joint venture formation and continues joint research collaboration. Co-corresponding author on Nature Communications publication (2024) on mucosal TLR5 activation for healthspan.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Samumed (now Biosplice): Clinical-stage biotech developing therapeutics that target aging-related pathways across osteoarthritis, oncology, and degenerative conditions. Broader portfolio scope but overlapping focus on aging-derived indications.
• Calico Life Sciences: Alphabet-backed longevity company developing therapeutics that target fundamental biology of aging. Broader portfolio and substantially larger resources, but operates in the same geroscience drug development space as MediSpan's TLR5 platform.
• Insilico Medicine: AI-driven drug discovery company with a notable pipeline in aging/longevity, fibrosis, and inflammation. Comparable in translating aging biology into clinical-stage assets; broader scope via AI platform.

Direct peers

• Cambrian Biopharma: Distributed development company building a pipeline of therapeutics targeting the biology of aging. Comparable multi-asset longevity pipeline model and focus on age-related disease indications.
• Altos Labs: US-based anti-aging/geroscience biotech pursuing cellular rejuvenation therapies. Directly comparable: MediSpan co-published with Altos Labs founder Manuel Serrano on TLR5/longevity, and both target aging as a root cause via novel biological mechanisms.
• Anji Pharma: Clinical-stage biotech with TLR-targeted and metabolic disease programs (including NASH). Comparable therapeutic-area overlap on MSP-306's NASH indication and shared mechanism of action around TLR signaling.
• Unity Biotechnology: Clinical-stage biotech developing senolytic therapeutics to treat age-related diseases. Directly comparable: both target aging biology to address multiple age-related indications, although Unity uses senolytics while MediSpan uses TLR5 mucosal immune activation.
• BioAge Labs: Clinical-stage biotechnology company developing drugs that target the molecular hallmarks of aging. Comparable discovery-to-development biotech profile, similar age-related-disease pipeline strategy, and similar early-stage scale.

Emerging players

• Cyclarity Therapeutics: Emerging longevity biotech developing small molecules that clear aging-related cellular damage. Similar preclinical-to-early-clinical profile and anti-aging pipeline structure to MediSpan's MSP platform.
• Gero (Gero.ai): AI-driven longevity R&D company focused on aging biology and small-molecule therapeutics. Comparable scientific focus on aging mechanisms with limited overlap in TLR5 mucosal immunity approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MediSpan