SillaJen Files Patent Application for Anti-Cancer Virus 'SJ-600' Series

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] SillaJen announced on the 29th that it has filed patents for its anticancer virus platform 'GEEV (Genetically Engineered Enveloped Vaccinia)' and the 'SJ-600' series being developed using this platform.

Since filing a patent for the GEEV platform, which allows intravenous administration, in February this year, SillaJen has supplemented the patent application based on the anticancer efficacy evaluation results of the SJ-600 series conducted at Seoul National University College of Medicine, completing domestic priority claim applications, PCT international applications, and examination requests.

Subsequently, as a follow-up application for the GEEV platform patent, improved forms of the anticancer virus were filed for domestic patents in June and PCT international patents in July, with registration examinations currently underway. Additionally, research is ongoing on follow-up series pipelines equipped with new therapeutic genes such as cytokines, chemokines, and enzymes, with plans to file substance patents for these within this year.

The SJ-600 series is notable for being a platform that can directly evade innate immunity. By expressing proteins that inhibit antiviral substances in the blood on the virus's envelope membrane, the anticancer virus can survive and reach cancer cells even when administered intravenously. While intravenous administration is effective for rapidly delivering drugs systemically, anticancer viruses have the drawback of being mostly eliminated by antiviral substances in the blood while traveling to tumors. SJ-600 can overcome this limitation.

SillaJen's GEEV platform can carry multiple therapeutic genes that enhance anticancer efficacy and can be engineered to express anticancer drug-activating enzymes and various immune modulators. SillaJen expects to expand the indications of the SJ-600 series to various solid tumors, including deep-seated cancers where direct intratumoral injection is not feasible.

Meanwhile, to strengthen its clinical division, SillaJen has recruited Ma Seung-hyun, formerly of global pharmaceutical companies Lilly and Novartis, as Chief Medical Officer (CMO), and is pursuing the resumption of trading and management normalization with the support of its largest shareholder M2N. Recently, by acquiring the anticancer drug candidate 'BAL0891' from Swiss company Basilea, it has completed the tasks set by the stock exchange.