Hyundai ADM Bio CEO designate Cho Won-dong speaks during a press conference in Seoul, Monday. Photo courtesy of Hyundai ADM Bio
South Korea’s Hyundai ADM Bio said Monday that the company is working on a new drug, Penetrium, intended to help enhance the efficiency of traditional cancer treatments.
The firm said that its novel approach focuses on targeting the supportive structure around cancer cells, called the tumor microenvironment. or TME, which refers to the intricate network of elements that surrounds and sustain a tumor.
“The interplay between cancer cells and their nearby components promotes tumor growth and invasion into healthy tissues, resulting in treatment resistance and poor clinical outcomes,” Hyundai ADM Bio research head Kim Su-jong told a press conference in Seoul.
“Penetrium acts on the TME by disrupting the cancer-friendly ecosystem, allowing conventional anticancer drugs to work more effectively and overcome resistance. It is an adjuvant for concurrent treatment,” she said.
In other words, she explained that Penetrium was a supplement for combination therapy with existing cancer drugs, rather than a substitute for them.
Hyundai ADM Bio noted that it would start clinical study with Penetrium, which is based on niclosamide, a medication used to treat tapeworm infections
South Korean authorities approved the first-phase clinical test in prostate cancer patients.
For patients suffering from pancreatic and triple-negative breast cancers, the company plans to cooperate with its mother company, Hyundai Bioscience, to apply for clinical trials later this year at home and abroad.
“Niclosamide is a tried-and-tested compound considered a promising candidate for treating various diseases. However, its low bioavailability has been a challenge. We aim to overcome it with our unique delivery system.” Hyundai ADM Bio CEO designate Cho Won-dong said.
“Preclinical results for Penetrium have shown encouraging outcomes. Clinical tests for patients with terminal-stage cancer will start first because they typically have very few therapeutic options left. In such cases, we could show the efficacy of Penetrium early on,” he said.
Cho was particularly hopeful that Penetrium would prove effective in preventing cancer metastasis. He plans to take charge of the company after a shareholder meeting July 31.
Established in 2003, Hyundai ADM Bio went public on the Seoul bourse in 2021. It was acquired by the Korean biopharmaceutical company Hyundai Bioscience early last year.
