South Korea's Daewoong Pharmaceutical Partners with Promedius to Promote AI Osteoporosis Screening Solution Using Chest X-rays

Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced on August 27 that it has signed a sales, distribution, and joint promotion agreement with Promedius, a medical imaging AI company, to promote Osteo Signal, an AI-based osteoporosis risk screening solution using chest X-rays, in South Korea. This partnership also marks Daewoong Pharmaceutical's expansion from its existing osteoporosis treatment business into the AI-assisted diagnostics field.

Under the agreement, Daewoong Pharmaceutical will leverage its business network covering medical institutions across South Korea, along with its sales and marketing capabilities, to bring the solution into more clinical settings. Promedius will provide medical imaging AI technical support to assist in its deployment in real-world medical environments. The two companies plan to focus on promoting the solution to institutions that routinely perform chest X-ray examinations, including health screening centers, hospitals, and clinics.

Osteo Signal can analyze chest X-rays taken during health checkups and routine medical consultations to assess the patient's osteoporosis risk level. The solution requires no additional image acquisition and can identify high-risk individuals using existing X-ray images, helping physicians determine whether patients need further examinations such as bone density tests.

According to the company, the solution has accumulated relevant technology and clinical evidence through clinical studies conducted in South Korea. In 2024, Osteo Signal won first place in the "2024 Digital Healthcare Challenge" co-hosted by Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) and the UCLA Center for Smart Health, for its AI-based osteoporosis screening solution.

Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease" because it typically shows no obvious symptoms before a fracture occurs. Many individuals with risk factors fail to undergo timely bone density testing and may miss the window for early diagnosis. The two companies stated that if AI can identify at-risk individuals at the chest X-ray imaging stage, it will help facilitate follow-up examinations and treatment.

Through this partnership, Daewoong Pharmaceutical plans to build an integrated patient management system covering risk identification, detailed examination, diagnosis, and treatment. The company will also strengthen the connection between the screening solution and its existing treatment options, including the osteoporosis medication "Stovoclo," to create a complete service model from screening to treatment.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical CEO Lee Chang-jae stated that the medical model of using AI to detect early signs of disease and guiding appropriate patients toward precise diagnosis and proper treatment is gaining increasing attention. Promedius CEO Bae Hyun-jin stated that the company will combine its existing technology and clinical foundation with Daewoong Pharmaceutical's clinical implementation capabilities to drive the application of Osteo Signal in real-world medical settings.