Avience

Avience is a South Korean biotechnology company focused on developing first-in-class therapeutics by leveraging the non-canonical functions of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs). Founded by Dr. Sunghoon Kim, a leading expert in ARS biology, the company targets specific ARS proteins that play critical roles in cancer progression and inflammatory signaling. Their lead program, AV-101, is a small molecule targeting AARS1 for the treatment of solid tumors and fibrotic diseases. Avience utilizes a proprietary platform to identify and modulate ARS-related pathways, aiming to address high unmet medical needs in oncology and immunology. The company is a spin-off from the Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center at Seoul National University and has secured significant venture capital funding to advance its pipeline. With a focus on novel mechanisms of action, Avience aims to provide new treatment options for patients with refractory cancers and chronic inflammatory conditions.