Chief Executive Officer Yun Tae-young Oscotec(039200) said on the 9th, "Our goal is to discover targets and candidate compounds in the field of anti-resistance anticancer drugs and complete at least two technology transfer deals by 2030." The aim is to overcome the problem of cancers developing resistance to anticancer drugs.
Yun made the remarks at Oscotec research and development (R&D) Day held recently. He said, "Anti-resistance anticancer drugs are a new area of drug development to overcome immune evasion that arises during existing treatments."
Oscotec introduced OCT-598, a candidate anticancer drug to overcome resistance. In 2022, it brought in the technology from Kanaph Therapeutics and is conducting a phase 1a clinical trial in Korea. It is preparing a phase 1b clinical trial in Korea and the United States. The company is also targeting improvement of renal fibrosis, in which the kidney becomes stiff. It plans to make a final selection in the second half for OCT-648, a candidate compound that suppresses fibrosis at an early stage.
In May, the company created a core technology team in its laboratory. It joined the ACART platform, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify anticancer drug targets. It tracks in real time how cancer cells develop resistance to anticancer drugs. Through this, it plans to identify the causes of resistance.
Yun said, "Over the past six months, three deals, including for the autoimmune disease treatment candidate sevidoplenib, have been signed, strengthening the company's research and development virtuous cycle," adding, "We will invest in the ACART platform based on the incoming funds."