GCell Announces First Overseas Technology Export of Immune Cell Therapy Imucell LC

GcCell Immuncell LC (Photo by GcCell)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] GC Cell has achieved its first overseas technology export success with the anticancer immunotherapy 'Immuncell-LC'.

GC Cell announced on the 4th that it has signed a technology export contract for Immuncell-LC with Rivaara Immune Private Limited in India. This contract marks the first overseas technology export agreement for Immuncell-LC. GC Cell will provide clinical results, production technology, quality testing methods, and know-how related to Immuncell-LC. Rivaara will be responsible for constructing a local production facility in India, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals, and will handle future production, sales, and marketing.

In addition to the contract payment and royalties, GC Cell is expected to receive additional milestone payments. Along with this, GC Cell will obtain exclusive supply rights for the essential media required for Immuncell-LC production and acquire a portion of Rivaara's shares. The detailed terms and financial amounts of the contract will not be disclosed by mutual agreement between the two companies.

Rivaara was newly established in Mumbai in 2019 by the major shareholder of BSV, a large Indian pharmaceutical company, to pioneer the cell therapy market. Through this contract, Rivaara plans to apply for product approval in India as soon as possible using GC Cell's clinical data.

The number of new cancer patients in India exceeds 1.3 million annually, approximately six times the number in South Korea. In particular, the liver cancer market is 2.3 times larger than in South Korea, and the 5-year survival rate for liver cancer is only 4%, compared to 37% in Korea, highlighting an urgent demand for new treatments.

GC Cell obtained product approval for Immuncell-LC for liver cancer in 2007 following approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Recently, it has also begun Phase 3 clinical trials for pancreatic cancer, actively pursuing expansion of indications.

Daewoo Park, CEO of GC Cell, stated, “Building on the domestic success of Immuncell-LC, we are promoting technology exports by country, and as the first result, we have signed a contract with Rivaara. We plan to cooperate as strategic partners in a win-win relationship.”