While biopharmaceutical technologies have made substantial strides in treating diseases, drug research and development continue to face a multitude of obstacles, such as complex methodologies, high R&D costs, limited target options, and poor translational efficacy. This is particularly relevant for gene or RNA-level abnormalities, which are not effectively addressed by protein-targeting therapeutics, limiting their clinical impact.The rapid advancement in RNA biology has triggered a surge of interest and investment from pharmaceutical companies and the capital markets, accelerating the explosive growth of the RNA therapeutic sector. InFocus Therapeutics is leading this momentum, combining AI with RNA science to create the world's first and currently only "RNA-targeted small molecule drug generation platform." In just four months, InFocus successfully generated two series of drug candidates for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and advanced them to the animal efficacy and toxicity testing phase, demonstrating exceptional research and development efficiency.According to Emily Fang, CEO and founder of InFocus Therapeutics, the traditional drug development method is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and marked by a low success rate. In recent years, major pharmaceutical companies have poured significant resources into RNA-based therapies. Yet, a lack of innovative R&D strategies continues to limit their potential. On the other hand, most AI startups struggle to deliver true breakthroughs in this domain, largely due to a lack of real-world experience in early drug discovery and the complex process of transforming molecules into clinically viable, patentable drug candidates.InFocus rapidly gained traction by leveraging the team's deep expertise in AI and RNA technology, the discovery of novel chemical entities that differentiate from competitors and existing marketed drugs. In just four months, they identified two sets of promising therapeutic candidates, an achievement unmatched in the industry and now a key competitive advantage.40x Faster R&D Efficiency: Unlocking the Power of RNA-Targeted MedicinesFounded in 2023, InFocus Therapeutics specializes in the development of small-molecule chemical drugs that directly target RNA, an area poised to reshape modern therapeutics. The company brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts spanning molecular biology, AI algorithms, finance, and RNA drug discovery. Designed to tackle high-impact, hard-to-treat conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases and metastatic cancers, InFocus has built a proprietary RNA-targeted small molecule drug generation platform that integrates advanced AI algorithms and specialized databases to automate the lead discovery process, from molecular design and generative chemistry to structure prediction and experimental validation. The result: a breakthrough platform that delivers up to 40 times greater R&D efficiency, rapidly uncovering best-in-class drug candidates far beyond the reach of conventional methods.Using spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) as a case study, InFocus's platform efficiently identified two promising compounds, IFT-0000002 and IFT-0000003, within a remarkably short timeframe. Both compounds demonstrated strong biological activity, good oral absorption, and toxicological profiles, establishing a solid foundation for further development. CEO Emily Fang highlighted that the InFocus platform achieves a 40% success rate in RNA-targeted drug development, far surpassing the typical ~1% success rate of traditional small-molecule drug development. This high efficiency represents a core competitive advantage for the company.Raising Capital to Accelerate Pipeline ExpansionInFocus is currently raising a US$1 million angel round to support critical next steps. The funds will be deployed to complete the preclinical development and animal studies for the SMA program, and to launch R&D on two new RNA-targeted cancer programs for drug-resistant prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. These efforts will significantly expand the depth and breadth of the platform's therapeutic reach.Commitment to Establish and Grow Taiwan as a Clinical Hub for Strategic CollaborationsTaiwan boasts a comprehensive health insurance system, a world-class medical system, a highly digitized medical record system, and a plethora of clinical research capabilities. It has long been the favored site for clinical trials for international pharmaceutical corporations. InFocus Therapeutics views Taiwan as a key launchpad for clinical collaboration and regional expansion, and plans to set up a subsidiary in 2025. It will engage with the company's proposed clinical trial application framework for 2026 and formally commence the product's admission into the clinical validation phase, while also accelerating the recruitment of local talent and partnering with clinical collaborators.Emily shared that when seeking collaboration opportunities in Taiwan, she fortuitously connected with Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) and joined its startup incubation program. InFocus gained valuable support and mentoring resources from the Mosaic accelerator, laying the groundwork for future investment and global market expansion. "Soon after our partnership with TTA, we engaged in the 2024 Founder Pitch event, which markedly improved our visibility and fostered connections within the investment community."Alongside its R&D milestones, InFocus is actively expanding its international investor network via TTA, aiming to accelerate the completion of its angel round fundraising and reinforce InFocus's leadership position in RNA-targeted small molecule therapeutics. With its AI-powered platform, high development success rate, and global footprint, InFocus is charting the path toward long-term growth in one of biotech's most promising frontiers.InFocus-BFMTV: InFocus founder Emily Fang was interviewed by renowned economist Nicolas Doze on BFM Business, France's number one financial news channel, and announced that it had received the Sanofi-sponsored 2024 Oncology "Golden Ticket" prize.InFocus Lab in a Loop: InFocus's proprietary artificial intelligence RNA drug discovery technology can generate high clinical potential therapeutic candidates targeting pathogenic RNA within a few months.

In an aging society, the care of chronic diseases has become a major social burden and has imposed significant impacts on the healthcare system. Elderly patients often face complicated medical procedures, unclear disease progression, and overcrowded settings in large hospitals. In 2010, Eric Lee returned to Taiwan from abroad to care for his mother, who had long suffered from chronic diseases related to bone and heart health, and went through firsthand the complexities of the healthcare system-ranging from resource bottlenecks to delayed diagnoses. Motivated by his personal journey, Lee co-founded AIM with physician Dr. Michael Yen in 2018. The company officially launched its product development activities in late 2020, focusing on solving pain points in chronic disease care for the elderly population through state-of-the-art AI diagnostic imaging technology.With Taiwan on the brink of becoming a super-aged society, diseases such as osteoporosis and degenerative arthritis are increasingly prevalent. However, early symptoms are often unnoticed or ignored, causing many patients to miss optimal treatment windows. Traditional diagnosis modalities like DXA bone densitometry or costly CT/MRI scans are time-consuming to schedule and not widely available, making large-scale community screening difficult. Furthermore, cardiac function assessment relies heavily on cardiologists operating advanced ultrasound systems, creating a bottleneck in primary care and public health services.Making Precision Care Accessible: The AI Revolution in X-ray and UltrasoundAccording to Lee, AIM's core technology leverages patented proprietary deep learning algorithms to analyze medical images from standard X-ray and ultrasound equipment. Its flagship solution, DeepXray, delivers automated bone density and joint degeneration analysis in under 30 seconds, generating clinically relevant reports. Validated by leading medical institutions including Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taipei Medical University Shuang-Ho Hospital and Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, DeepXray achieves over 0.9 correlation with gold-standard DXA scans and maintains a world-class absolute error below 0.05 g/cm2.The company's second core product, DeepSono, focuses on automated cardiac ultrasound analysis. Using portable ultrasound devices, DeepSono autonomously outlines myocardial contours and calculates ejection fraction (EF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS)-traditionally requiring manual assessment by cardiologists.AIM's solutions have earned Class II medical device certification from authorities including the US FDA, Taiwan's TFDA, Japan's PMDA, and Vietnam's IMDA, and are expanding to other targeted countries-making it one of the few Taiwanese medical AI startups with comprehensive international certifications.Scalable Business Model and Global ExpansionTo accelerate adoption, AIM offers medical institutions a printer and cartridge business model, including a one-time software license fee at 10% of the full cost to lower entry barriers, followed by a SaaS-based monthly subscription or usage-based billing. Since its 2024 certification, AIM's solutions have been deployed in over 50 clinics and hospitals across Taiwan and Vietnam, with entry into the Japanese market underway."In a competitive global medical AI market, AIM's edge lies in delivering quantitative diagnostic data-not just risk classification," said Lee. While most medical AI solutions on the market only classify patients into high-, medium-, or low-risk categories, AIM goes beyond simply identifying risk levels and provides actionable and clinically relevant number-based metrics. AIM also prioritizes algorithm optimization and platform-based, fully automated diagnostic workflows, significantly enhancing clinical efficiency. Its long-term mission is to democratize precision care by pairing affordable devices with advanced AI technology so that the general public around the world will all be taken care of.Future Roadmap: Elderly Mobility and Cardiac CareLee stated that AIM will continue to expand its product portfolio centered around elderly mobility and cardiac care by leveraging widely available X-ray and ultrasound devices in primary care settings. Upcoming features include sarcopenia risk prediction, enhanced integration of handheld ultrasound with AI, and new developments in abdominal ultrasound, AI-assisted chest disease detection, and preoperative anesthesia risk analysis.Lee also underscored the evolution of Taiwan's startup ecosystem, which in recent years has matured significantly, especially in terms of global outreach. Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) has actively facilitated overseas market connections and aligned investment resources, supporting AIM in its global expansion. In addition to tapping into international markets, Lee recommends that the government and hospitals provide more PoC/PoB habitats to accelerate the development and global reach of Taiwan's medical AI sector, increase clinical deployment opportunities for startups, and bring precision care to communities around the world.

This article outlines the various code storage flash technologies used today and their contribution to platform cybersecurity and resiliency. It also outlines the minimal set of requirements to meet the demands of cyber protection in 2025 and beyond.Non-volatile storage media contain all the essential platform assets. The platform code, operational data, user data, and various states of the platform. For that reason, the content of the non-volatile storage is considered to be the most vulnerable to cyberattacks. Such attacks may try to extract user data (privacy), platform or network data (stability and resiliency) or modify the platform code as an extended attack vector for more complex attacks.Previously, standalone devices with no network connectivity were common, requiring attackers to have physical access to compromise system code. Such equipment had to be physically manipulated in order to gain access to the content of the non-volatile (NVM) storage. In those platforms, we would have one of three possible configurations for the non-volatile storage:*Embedded flash - where the NVM would be part of the controller silicon*External flash - where the NVM would reside side by side with the controller device*Multi-Chip-Module (MCM) - where the NVM die would be placed in the same plastic package as the controllerEach of these configurations would have its pros and cons. The embedded NVM would be the most secure, as it could be made almost impossible for an attacker to probe and access the embedded NVM portion of the silicon die. However, embedded flash does not allow easy expansion in storage capacity, and is not available in advanced manufacturing processesThe external flash would prove to be the easiest to attack. Connecting simple bus "sniffing" equipment to the flash would allow an attacker to extract information, modify code and perform any other actions required to compromise the platform and its data.Unauthorized NVM Access & Bus SniffingThe MCM approach seems to have the benefit of limited physical access to the NVM Flash device, while offering better cost structure. However, it is fairly easy today to decap (open) any chip package and access internal connecting signals, making the MCM approach nearly as (non) secure as the external flash configuration.MCMIn order to mitigate attacks on NVM, a special type of flash was developed, called "Secure Flash" where the interface signals between the controller and flash are encrypted. This prevents the traditional probing attacks from being successful.Secure flashWith modern devices increasingly connected to networks, security risks have expanded beyond physical threats to remote cyberattacks. All the above attacks required physical access to the attacked platform because of no networking connectivity. This rather limited the scope of such attacks. However, most of the platforms today, regardless of their functions, become network-connected. This trend is driven by a few key concepts:*Extended functionality (by using network resources)*Ease of use*Remote management and information/statistics collection*Frequent, automatic firmware updates*Easier deployment and life cycle controlThe key driver for network connectivity is remote firmware update. This is mandated by all the latest standards and regulations, such as EU RED EN18031, US CNSA2.0, and the coming EU Cyber Resiliency Act. It is well understood today that orderly firmware updates are a must in order to keep systems resilient and protected, and their users safe.Making platforms network-connected and set up for automatic remote system updates opens up a whole new landscape of potential security attacks. This makes the physical protection, mentioned here before, an outdated issue in most cases, with the exception being open-loop financial transactions and ID cards (such as passports).Modern platforms must be protected from a completely different set of threats:*Unprotected and outdated updates - attempt to force a platform to revert to an older version of its software with known vulnerabilities or lack critical security features, making them easier for attackers to exploit.*Supply chain attacks - attempt to insert Trojan hardware or install malicious software at some point within the manufacturing, transportation, or distribution of platforms.*Storage breeching (keys, user data, credentials theft) - unauthorized access or compromise of stored sensitive information.*Threats to the resiliency of the platforms - attempt to infect systems with malicious code, exploit vulnerabilities in platform firmware, or make the platform unavailable by destroying critical data in NVM.It is well understood that large-scale attacks can be leased upon millions of devices without a need to physically access any of them. It is thus required to implement protection mechanisms against such potential attacks.Firmware update protection - latest standards call for protection of firmware updates in terms of integrity, authenticity, and freshness, allowing only a complete, signed, and newer version of firmware to replace an existing version. Moreover, the cryptographic signature mechanisms to be used must be quantum-safe, meaning algorithms developed to resist being attacked by quantum computers.Supply chain protection - this topic is at the top of the list for potential large-scale attacks published by EU ENISA in 2024. Due to the distributed nature of supply chains used in the production of electronic equipment, it is relatively easy for rogue players to replace key components such as the NVM devices and basic firmware code with devices and code that include malicious capabilities. These capabilities can then be employed to unleash a large-scale attack on infrastructure.Storage protection - if a platform is allowed to access any information in the NVM at any time, a rogue piece of code, even temporarily loaded into memory, can scan the NVM and access secret or sensitive data, transmit it back to the attacker, and even modify this data. It is essential to maintain privileged access restrictions on such data in the non-volatile memory.Platform resiliency - as more and more platforms become online and network-connected, it is essential to ensure they are kept in correct working order or otherwise gracefully brought down to ensure no harm is done if they are somehow compromised. To facilitate this, strong internal diagnostics of the NVM content (code and data) are required, and in the case of some malfunction, allow the platform to either fix the problem or go offline and shut itself down. Platform firmware resiliency is detailed in NIST SP 800-193.Given these contemporary threats, it is clear that NVM packaging technology plays a diminished role, if any, in platform cyber protection. The focus should be on using the appropriate NVM built-in security capabilities and configurations to minimize and eliminate these threats.The Winbond W77Q Secure Flash is introduced as a robust solution to address the outlined threats. The key features of W77Q Secure Flash relevant to the document's topics include:*Code and Data Protection: robust protection for both code and data, making it exceedingly difficult for hackers to tamper. RoT implementation follows the TCG DICE attestation mechanism.*Authentication: Winbond Secure Flash devices employ stringent authentication protocols, ensuring that only authorized actors and software layers gain access. *Secure Software Updates with Rollback Protection: The devices facilitate remote secure software updates while safeguarding against rollback attacks, ensuring that only legitimate updates are executed. To maintain the highest level of security and integrity during software updates, W77Q employs Quantum-Safe Leighton-Micali Signature (LMS) algorithms, as recommended by NIST Special Publication 800-208. This method guarantees the authenticity and integrity of the updated software, thereby providing an additional layer of security for years to come.*Platform Resiliency: following NIST 800-193 recommendations, unauthorized code changes are automatically detected, enabling the system to automatically recover to a secure state and disturbing potential cyber threats.*Secure Supply Chain: The origin and integrity of flash content are guaranteed by Secure Flash at every stage of the supply chain. W77Q implements remote attestation based on LMS-OTS (NIST 800-208). This advanced approach effectively prevents content tampering and misconfiguration during platform assembly, transportation, and configuration, safeguarding against cyber adversaries.Winbond W77Q Secure Flash addresses critical security concerns discussed in the paper, providing strong protection for code and data storage while ensuring platform integrity, resiliency, and compliance with emerging cybersecurity frameworks.For more information on how Winbond can support your security and compliance needs, visit Winbond's website or contact Winbond directly, or download the latest Hardware Security White Paper.