LOTTE Holdings backs Metaphore Biotechnologies in CVC investment

LOTTE Holdings has invested in Cambridge-based Metaphore Biotechnologies, a preclinical generative AI drug-discovery company founded in 2021 by Flagship Pioneering’s Flagship Labs. The deal adds another corporate backer to Metaphore as it advances antibody medicines for metabolic disease, immunology and other hard-to-treat conditions.

Why it matters: - LOTTE Holdings is expanding its healthcare and biopharmaceutical venture capital activity with a bet on generative AI-enabled biologics. - Metaphore Biotechnologies is working on antibody medicines designed to do more than block biology, which could matter for diseases where conventional approaches have fallen short. - The investment adds support for Metaphore’s lead programs, including therapies aimed at shorter, less burdensome dosing schedules.

What happened: - LOTTE Holdings announced an investment in Metaphore Biotechnologies, Inc. on August 5, 2026. - Metaphore is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is led by CEO Angela Hwang. - LOTTE Holdings described the target as a preclinical-stage generative AI-based drug discovery company. - Metaphore was established in 2021 by Flagship Pioneering’s Flagship Labs.

The details: - Metaphore’s platform combines experimental work in living systems with AI/ML to generate proprietary functional data. - The platform is used to design antibodies with intended activity and drug-like properties from the start. - Metaphore says the system can design high-quality, drug-like molecules in 8 to 16 weeks. - The company focuses on biologics with unique mechanisms of action, including antibody agonists and multi-agonists. - Metaphore is advancing programs in metabolic disease, immunology and peripheral artery disease. - The lead program is a GLP-2R agonist for short bowel syndrome. - That program is designed for once-monthly dosing, compared with daily injections for the standard of care. - Metaphore is also developing a multi-target agonist for obesity. - The company describes that obesity program as a potential first-in-class antibody therapy. - LOTTE Holdings said the investment reflects its commitment to helping address global healthcare challenges through biotechnology. - Dr. Joon Paek, managing partner of LOTTE Holdings Healthcare & Biopharmaceutical CVC, said the firm is confident in Metaphore’s programmable functionality approach. - Dr. Paek said the live-cell experimentation and AI/ML approach could create antibodies with differentiated therapeutic actions and reach biology that has been difficult to address with conventional methods.

Between the lines: - The deal fits LOTTE Holdings’ broader push into healthcare alongside its other businesses, including confectionery, ice cream, real estate, finance, hotels and CVC. - Metaphore’s pitch is that learning directly from protein interactions in living systems may outperform static-structure approaches used in traditional discovery. - If the platform continues to produce candidates quickly, Metaphore could compress early antibody design timelines and lower friction for pipeline expansion.

What's next: - LOTTE Holdings will continue positioning itself as a long-term partner for Metaphore. - Metaphore will keep advancing its therapeutic pipeline in metabolic disease and immunology. - The company will also continue work on peripheral artery disease and other high-value disease areas. - The company’s website is more information.

The bottom line: - LOTTE Holdings is betting that Metaphore’s AI-plus-experimental platform can produce better biologics faster, and that could translate into a stronger pipeline in diseases with major unmet need.