Apimeds Pharmaceuticals and University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business Launch ai² Futures Lab™ Program

10/14/2025 – 03:02 AM

MATAWAN, N.J. & EUGENE, Ore. – Apimeds Pharmaceuticals US, Inc. (NYSE: APUS) is betting on the next generation of biotech innovation. The company announced today the expansion of its ai^² Futures Lab program, forging a new collaboration with the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business, commencing in the Winter 2026 quarter. This initiative aims to link student teams with real-world biopharmaceutical business development projects, underscoring Apimeds’ commitment to nurturing innovation and leadership within the healthcare sector.

The ai^² Futures Lab is designed as both a discovery engine for promising therapeutic assets and an incubator for future industry leaders. Students from the University of Oregon will work directly with Apimeds mentors to assess early-stage pharmaceutical assets – including those potentially shelved – conducting in-depth market and intellectual property analysis. They’ll also be tasked with identifying strategic pathways to advance patient care through innovative business models.

“This program embodies our core values at Apimeds – merging human insight with scientific advancement,” stated Erik Emerson, CEO of Apimeds Pharmaceuticals. “The Lundquist College of Business is the ideal partner to expand our ai^² Futures Lab initiative. It not only fuels our pipeline with innovative thinking, it allows students to build upon the Oregon tradition of innovation.”

Bruce Blonigen, Dean of the Lundquist College of Business, emphasized the mutual benefit. “Collaborating with an innovative partner like Apimeds provides invaluable real-world experience, readying our students for careers at the intersection of science, business, and innovation.”

Brian Peters, SVP of Apimeds’ ai^² Division and lead of the ai^² Futures Lab program, added, “This partnership bolsters our mission to transform the ai^² Futures Lab into a scalable innovation platform for Apimeds, while simultaneously acting as a launchpad for young innovators. These student teams work on real assets with tangible potential, generating considerable value for both the company and for the rising healthcare leaders.”

The University of Oregon joins the University of Alabama and the University of San Diego as the third academic institution to collaborate with the ai^² Futures Lab. The program is a key component of Apimeds’ ai^² innovation platform, which is intended to combine human intelligence with AI-driven analytics to illuminate transformative opportunities in biotechnology.

Analysis: A Strategic Investment in Innovation

Apimeds’ investment in the ai^² Futures Lab program signals a forward-thinking approach to pharmaceutical innovation. By tapping into the academic ecosystem, Apimeds gains access to a fresh perspective on nascent technologies and market opportunities. The program also serves as a strategic recruitment tool, building a pipeline of talent deeply familiar with Apimeds’ operations and its unique approach to drug development.

The collaboration with the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business underscores the growing convergence of business acumen and scientific expertise in the biopharmaceutical industry. Students gain hands-on experience in areas critical to pharmaceutical success, including market analysis, intellectual property strategy, and business development – skills that are increasingly valued by employers.

Furthermore, the ai^² Futures Lab initiative reflects a broader trend towards leveraging artificial intelligence to augment human decision-making in the drug discovery and development process. Apimeds seeks to combine the analytical power of AI with the critical thinking and creative problem-solving capabilities of human experts.

About Apimeds Pharmaceuticals

Apimeds Pharmaceuticals (NYSE American: APUS) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing non-opioid, biologic-based therapies for pain management. The company’s lead product candidate, Apitox, is in late-stage clinical development for osteoarthritis of the knee.

About the University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business

The University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business offers a learning environment in sports business, entrepreneurship, sustainable business, marketing, finance, operations, and accounting. With experiential learning and industry engagement, Lundquist prepares students to lead and innovate in a evolving global business landscape.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements which constitute assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Readers are cautioned that certain important factors may affect Apimeds’ actual results and could cause such results to differ materially from forward-looking statements. Factors that may affect Apimeds’ results include, but are not limited to, the ability of Apimeds to raise additional capital to finance its operations; risks relating to Apimeds’ ability to advance its product candidate and successfully complete clinical trials; risks relating to its ability to hire and retain qualified personnel; and the additional risk factors described in Apimeds’ filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 as filed with the SEC on April 15, 2025 (as amended on May 2, 2025)