Rznomics said on the 19th it will unveil interim clinical results for its liver cancer drug candidate "RZ-001" at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Rznomics is a gene therapy corporations with RNA (ribonucleic acid) editing technology.
Rznomics has technology that can remove RNA that causes intractable diseases and express RNA containing therapeutic material. RZ-001 cleaves telomerase messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), which appears in cancer cells, and converts it into therapeutic RNA to induce cancer cell death.
The clinical trial was conducted in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, among others, who had no prior systemic therapy. The liver cancer drug candidate was administered in combination with the immune-oncology drugs atezolizumab and bevacizumab. As a result, tumor-shrinking responses were observed in patients. About 23% experienced complete disappearance of cancer cells.
Rznomics' liver cancer drug candidate received orphan drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The program supports the smooth development of treatments for rare diseases. The company can receive benefits such as priority review, tax credits, waiver of application fees, and up to seven years of market exclusivity.
Hong Seong-woo, a vice president at Rznomics, said, "We plan to present more updated clinical results in the oral presentation at the conference," adding, "While the results are positive, they are interim findings, so it is necessary to avoid overinterpretation."