K-Pharma Bios jump into cancer vaccine development

starts attempts to conquer intractable cancer

DXVX introduces Oxford Vacmedix candidate substance... observes immune effect in solid tumors

Aston Science starts Phase II trial… Hanmi plans to start clinical trials for its mRNA vaccine this year

Cancer vaccine candidates produced by domestic pharmaceutical and biotech companies are now one step closer to conquering intractable cancers, demonstrating effect in clinical trials.

 

DXVX's cancer vaccine candidate has shown an effect on ovarian cancer and lung cancer, and Aston Science has entered Phase II clinical trials for gastric cancer to confirm its candidate drug’s commercialization potential.

 

Hanmi Pharmaceutical is also planning to start clinical trials of a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) cancer vaccine.

 

According to industry sources the 15th, OVM-200, a cancer vaccine candidate being developed by Oxford Vacmedix in the UK, has shown efficacy recently.

 

Oxford Vacmedix is a spinoff of Oxford University, which has the domestic bio venture DXVX as its largest shareholder.

 

DXVX is pursuing the domestic introduction and clinical trials for OVM-200.

 

According to the Phase Ia clinical trial results of OVM-200 that were recently announced by Oxford Vacmedix, the results confirmed the immune response and safety of OVM-200 in ovarian, prostate, and lung cancer patients.

 

OVM-200 utilizes recombinant overlapping peptide (ROP) technology.

 

ROP can boost the immune system by recombining overlapping peptides that stimulate anti-cancer virus genes.

 

A cancer vaccine is not a preventive measure-it is a treatment that activates the immune system by administering cancer cell antigens to the patient.

 

Like a vaccine, it works by activating the immune response and causing cancer cells to kill themselves.

 

Oxford Vacmedix is currently conducting Phase Ib/IIa clinical trials of OVM-200 in the United Kingdom, and DXVX will conduct clinical trials in Asia.

 

Its commercialization target is 2027.

 

Among domestic companies, Aston Science is conducting Phase II clinical trials for its cancer vaccine, AST-301.

 

AST-301 is a therapeutic cancer vaccine for patients with HER2-positive gastric cancer.

 

Although gastric cancer has biomarkers such as FGR and MET, targeted therapies on such biomarkers have been ineffective.

 

In the past decade, no new drugs have been introduced for gastric cancer, and only recently, the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) anticancer drug Enhertu and the immuno-oncology drug Keytruda have shown effect in the field.

 

AST-301 selectively increases the immunogenicity of T helper cells that recognize specific antigens.

 

As the company had secured long-term safety and immunogenicity data for AST-301 in Phase I trials, Aston Science is expecting positive results in Phase II trials as well.

 

mRNA Hanmi Pharmaceutical makes bid into developing an mRNA cancer vaccine in Korea

With Moderna, Pfizer, and other mRNA specialists making a bid into the cancer vaccine market, Hanmi Pharmaceutical is the only domestic company developing an mRNA cancer vaccine.

 

The mRNA cancer vaccine synthesizes a protein in the body that has the same genetic structure as the abnormal protein produced by cancer cells.

 

The pathogen is administered to the body, to induce an immune response to produce antibodies.

 

Hanmi Pharmaceutical's cancer vaccine candidate, HM99462, which has currently completed preclinical development, targets the KRAS mutation.

 

KRAS plays an important role in cell growth, differentiation, proliferation, and survival.

 

KRAS, which causes various mutations, is overexpressed in non-small cell lung cancer and colon cancer, causing cancer.

 

According to clinical trial data released by Hanmi Pharmaceutical, HM99462 inhibited tumor growth in an animal model (mice) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

 

The company plans to continue clinical trials as it has confirmed positive results in preclinical studies.