VivoSim Expands Asia-Pacific Access to NAMKind™ Human-Based Toxicology Services Through New Distributor Agreement in Korea and China
JCBio appointed for Korea; Tekon Biotech appointed for China provide access to liver and small-intestine NAM screening with “molecules in, data out” speed and human relevance
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VivoSim Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIVS) (the “Company” or “VivoSim Labs”), a provider of next-generation New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for preclinical safety, today announced it has signed JCBio as an authorized distributor in Korea and Tekon Biotech as an authorized distributor in China for its NAMKind™ toxicology services in liver and small intestine. The appointments expand VivoSim’s commercial presence across Asia-Pacific, which potentially provides faster access to human-relevant toxicology services for pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations facing growing pressure to de-risk programs earlier and accelerate timelines.
A market inflection point: global demand for New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) is accelerating
Across the industry, the demand for human-relevant, fit-for-purpose toxicology is rising sharply as drug developers seek earlier readouts, clearer translation to clinical outcomes, and meaningful reductions in late-stage attrition. VivoSim’s NAMKind™ services are designed to meet that demand with a simple, scalable model: “molecules in, data out”—supporting small molecules, biologics, and advanced modalities—and delivering actionable results with a targeted 30-day turnaround time per compound.
Korea’s regulatory direction aligns with U.S. FDA momentum on NAM adoption
Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS)—often referred to as “Korea’s FDA”—has been moving in step with broader international momentum, including the U.S. FDA, toward the evaluation and acceptance of scientifically robust NAM-based evidence where it improves decision-making. This alignment is aimed at accelerating adoption of new techniques that emphasize performance, predictivity, and relevance to human outcomes—especially in high-impact organs like liver and gastrointestinal tissues.
Tekon Biotech brings strong reach into China’s pharma and local biotech ecosystem
Tekon Biotech is a leading provider of advanced life science solutions. This collaboration aims to introduce Vivosim’s proprietary NAMkind™ liver and intestinal predictive platforms to the Greater China market, addressing a critical need for more accurate preclinical safety data in one of the world's most dynamic drug discovery landscapes.
The distribution agreement comes at a pivotal time for the region. China's in-vitro toxicology testing market is projected to grow significantly, from approximately $1.05 billion in 2023 to $2.26 billion by 2030, driven by increasing R&D investment and evolving regulatory standards.1 This alliance positions Tekon Biotech to capture this growing demand by delivering Vivosim’s high-accuracy screening services - capable of detecting toxicities often missed by animal models - to a rapidly expanding customer base.
Sanger Chang, President of Tekon Biotech, highlighted the strategic importance of this technology for the region’s evolving pharmaceutical industry.
“The pharmaceutical industry in China is currently undergoing a massive transformation, pivoting aggressively from generic manufacturing to ‘First-in-Class’ source innovation, said Sanger Chang. “However, this shift brings higher stakes. Our clients are increasingly concerned about late-stage clinical failures, particularly regarding liver safety. With Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILI) incidence in China estimated at 23.80 per 100,000 people2,3 - significantly higher than in Western populations - there is an urgent demand for better predictive tools.”
Sanger Chang continued, emphasizing the specific technological advantages Vivosim brings to the local market:
“Traditional animal models have historically struggled to predict toxicity for complex modalities like Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) or specific compounds found in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which are unique pillars of our local market. Vivosim’s NAMkind™ platform offers the 'Final Pass Pre-IND' assurance our clients need. By integrating these regulatory-aligned, human-cell-based models, we can help Chinese innovators de-risk their pipelines early, ensuring that only the safest, most promising candidates advance to clinical trials.”
JCBio expands adoption in Korea with local expertise and scientific engagement
In Korea, JCBio will support regional customers in deploying NAMKind™ liver and small intestine services by providing local coordination and scientific engagement to streamline evaluations—from project scoping and sample logistics to data review and program iteration.
Designed to save time, reduce risk, and cut costs—at scale
NAMKind™ is engineered for efficient program execution and faster “go/no-go” decisions. By delivering human-based screening insights earlier—particularly around liver and GI liabilities—customers may avoid costly downstream failures, reduce rework, and prioritize the right assets with greater confidence. The result is a modern approach to toxicology that has the potential to save customers millions by identifying risk earlier and focusing investment where it has the highest probability of success.
“Global demand for human-relevant toxicology is shooting up, and the industry needs solutions that deliver real-world impact right now,” said Tony Lialin, Chief Commercial Officer at VivoSim.
“NAMKind™ makes it practical—small or large molecules in, decision-ready data out—with a targeted 30-day turnaround time per study. By partnering with JCBio and Tekon, we’re making this capability accessible across Asia-Pacific at the pace the market is demanding, which may help teams reduce risk earlier, move faster, and ultimately save millions by screening with human biology at the center.”
Availability and next steps
With distribution agreements with JCBio and Tekon Biotech in place, NAMKind™ liver and small intestine toxicology services are now available via local distributor engagement across Korea and China, with VivoSim continuing to scale capacity to support expanding global demand and urgent, real-world development needs.
About VivoSim Labs
VivoSim Labs, Inc. ("VivoSim" and the “Company”), is a pharmaceutical and biotechnology services company that is focused on providing testing of drugs and drug candidates in three-dimensional (“3D”) human tissue models of liver and intestine. The Company offers partners liver and intestinal toxicology insights using its new approach methodologies ("NAM") models. The Company anticipates accelerated adoption of human tissue models following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA") announcement on April 10, 2025 to refine animal testing requirements in favor of these non-animal NAM methods. VivoSim Labs operates from San Diego, CA. Visit www.vivosim.ai.
About JCBio
JCBio is a Korea-based life science distributor supporting research and development organizations with scientific products, services, and local expertise.
About Tekon Biotech (www.tekonbiotech.cn)
Tekon Biotech is a premier distributor of cutting-edge life science technologies in China and Taiwan. Committed to bridging the gap between global innovation and local research needs, Tekon provides comprehensive solutions for drug discovery and development. The company serves a diverse and extensive client base that includes domestic and international pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies of all sizes, as well as major universities and leading scientific research institutions across the region.
Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on current expectations but are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding NAMKind™, including target turnaround time and its potential to help users de-risk their pipelines, avoid costly downstream failures, reduce rework, prioritize the right assets, move faster, save millions and reduce risk; VivoSim’s commercial presence across Asia-Pacific; the evaluation and acceptance of scientifically robust NAM-based evidence; the Company’s ability to capture growing demand in the in-vitro toxicology testing market; demand for human-relevant toxicology; the market opportunity and market size of gastrointestinal in-vitro models and toxicology services; and the Company’s scaling capacity to support expanding global demand and development needs. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and actual actions or events could differ materially from those contained in such statements. These risks and uncertainties and other factors are identified and described in more detail in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on June 5, 2025, as such risk factors are updated in its most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 6, 2025. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date that they were made. These cautionary statements should be considered with any written or oral forward-looking statements that the Company may issue in the future. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States, the Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to reflect actual results, later events, or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Contact(s):
Investor Relations
info@vivosim.ai
VivoSim Labs, Inc.
JCBio
Contact: Jae Chan Yoo
jc@jcbio.co.kr | Phone: 02-568-7320
Tekon Biotech
Contact: Sanger Chang, President
Email: sanger@tekon.net | Phone: (021)5860 5185
References
1. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/horizon/outlook/in-vitro-toxicology-testing-market/china?utm
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30742832/
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11297843/?utm
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