Domestic pharmaceutical and bio corporations will gather in Chicago, United States, from the 25th to the 30th (local time) for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2025.
AACR is recognized as one of the world's three largest cancer conferences, along with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). More than 20,000 corporate representatives and researchers participate each year to present and share research findings.
For domestic corporations, it is also a venue for technology export opportunities. This year, at AACR, various examples of new drug research utilizing modality technology that accurately delivers drugs to cancer cells and platforms (base technology) capable of developing diverse new drug candidates are expected to be showcased.
◇ Multi-antibody and ADC that enhance the attack power against cancer cells
Recently, global large pharmaceutical companies have actively pursued acquisitions of modality and platform technologies. Modality refers to the method by which drugs target their intended sites or the manner in which drugs exert effect. A platform is a base technology that allows for the derivation of multiple candidate substances from existing drugs.
The two technologies, which are used interchangeably, possess infinite scalability that is not limited to specific drugs or diseases. The most representative examples are dual (multi) antibodies and antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technologies. Single antibody therapies target only one antigen on cancer cells to initiate an immune response, whereas multi-antibodies are therapies designed to act on multiple antigens. This simultaneous targeting leads to higher therapeutic efficacy.
Among domestic corporations, Celltrion is developing multi-antibody anti-cancer drugs and ADC platforms. Celltrion will first unveil the preclinical results of its multi-antibody anti-cancer drug candidate CT-P72, developed in collaboration with ABPRO, at the AACR on the 27th. ABL Bio and Yuhan Corporation will also present non-clinical data on the dual antibody anti-cancer drug ABL104, developed together, in poster format at AACR.
ADC is a therapeutic technology that attaches drugs to antibodies to deliver them precisely to cancer cells. It is similar to a missile (antibody) accurately flying towards a target (cancer cell antigen) and detonating its warhead (drug).
LigaChem Biosciences, which exported its ADC platform to Iksuda Therapeutics in the UK and Sotio Biotech in the Czech Republic, will present preclinical results for their ADC anti-cancer drug candidates at AACR. Celltrion Pharm is set to present a poster on its dual drug ADC platform CTPH-02, which combines different principles of anti-cancer drugs. ADC is a form where the antibody, drug, and linker that connects them are linked, and it is said that combining two types of drugs with the antibody can yield stronger and more precise therapeutic effects.
Research on anti-cancer drugs utilizing messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) is also on the rise. mRNA is a genetic material that contains information for protein synthesis. mRNA therapeutics enter the human body to synthesize antigen proteins, inducing an immune response. By selecting mutant antigens present in the patient's cancer cells and creating mRNA to synthesize them, personalized treatment becomes possible.
Among domestic corporations, Hanmi Pharmaceutical is developing an mRNA anti-cancer drug. Hanmi Pharmaceutical will disclose 11 non-clinical study results on seven new drug candidates at this AACR, one of which is the mRNA anti-cancer drug research result. The principle is to express the p53 protein, an anti-cancer protein, in the human body using mRNA to kill cancer cells.
◇ Improving diagnostic accuracy and predicting optimal anti-cancer drugs
Domestic corporations with technologies that enhance the accuracy of cancer diagnosis and treatment are expected to receive attention at this conference. Each company aims to use this AACR as an opportunity to export technologies to global pharmaceutical and bio corporations and expand research collaborations.
Jinsicker will present its core technology, "MUTE-Seq," on the AACR stage on the 29th. MUTE-Seq is a technology that utilizes the ultra-precise CRISPR gene-editing tool "FnCas9-AF2" developed independently by Jinsicker to detect DNA from cancer cells with ultra-high sensitivity. The CRISPR gene-editing tool is an enzyme complex that cuts desired genes.
Heo Jun-seok, co-CEO of Jinsicker and a neurosurgery professor at Korea University Anam Hospital, noted, "The MUTE-Seq technology can sensitively analyze small amounts of mutated cancer genes that were difficult to detect by existing methods." Jinsicker stated that its gene-editing tool distinguishes single nucleotide variations more accurately than existing technologies and has significantly reduced errors in cutting at unintended sites.
Artificial intelligence (AI) corporation Lunit is set to unveil seven latest research findings utilizing Lunit Scope. Lunit Scope analyzes cancer patients' tissues using AI to predict patients' responses to immune oncology drugs, allowing for the pre-selection of patients who can benefit from the therapeutic effects.
Lunit will present research findings demonstrating the efficacy of AI in collaboration with Genentech of the United States and AstraZeneca of the United Kingdom. Seo Beom-seok, CEO of Lunit, said, "These results show that Lunit Scope can provide significant therapeutic prediction information even for rare cancers and those with poor prognoses."