[2024 JPMHC] James Park, CEO of GC Cell, "We Will Fully Launch ImmunCell-LC Overseas Expansion"

"This year's technology export will be centered on the anticancer immune cell therapy 'Immuncell-LC.' We have received questions like 'Why has it only been sold in Korea until now?' so results will come soon."

James Park, CEO of GC Cell, is being interviewed by Asia Economy.
[Photo by Lee Chunhee]

On the 10th, James Park, CEO of GC Cell (GCsel), and Ji-won Jeon, Chief Business and Marketing Officer (CBMO), who attended the world's largest pharmaceutical and bio investment event, the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPMHC), said, "Although Immuncell-LC was launched over 10 years ago, it has only been sold domestically," adding, "We intend to introduce Immuncell-LC to the global market through GC Cell's first participation in JPMHC."

CEO James Park previously worked at Merck (MSD) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) in the U.S., served as Vice President at Samsung Biologics, and was appointed CEO of GC Cell last year. GC Cell has since recruited CBMO Ji-won Jeon and Seunghwan Kim, Head of Oncology Division, and is pushing forward with entry into the global anticancer drug market.

GC Cell will focus on the overseas expansion of Immuncell-LC starting with the U.S. this year. CBMO Jeon explained the strengths, saying, "Immuncell-LC has excellent relapse prevention effects while its price is around 60 million KRW, which is about 10% compared to other cell and gene therapies." In clinical trials targeting early-stage liver cancer patients, Immuncell-LC reduced the risk of relapse by 37% compared to the control group and lowered mortality by 79%. More than 10,000 patients have been prescribed the treatment domestically. Regarding the U.S. entry strategy, CEO Park said, "We are considering obtaining approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on bridging clinical trials or existing real-world treatment data."

James Park, CEO of GC Cell (left), and Ji-won Jeon, CBMO, are being interviewed by Asia Economy.
[Photo by Chunhee Lee]

GC Cell also plans to expand production bases and its portfolio this year. The affiliate Bioscentric, which owns a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) plant for cell and gene therapies in the U.S., is central to this effort. CEO Park emphasized, "By utilizing GC Cell's production facilities in Korea and Bioscentric's production facilities in the U.S. together, we can provide services to companies aiming to expand overseas or foreign companies entering the Asia-Pacific market." CBMO Jeon also said, "Since Immuncell-LC is an autologous cell therapy, a production base in the U.S. is necessary to enter the U.S. market," adding, "We are preparing technology transfer to Bioscentric."

Regarding GC Cell's product portfolio, CBMO Jeon said, "For anticancer drugs, holding two to three types of medicines simultaneously is necessary to strengthen market presence," and "We are reviewing various options to expand the portfolio, including acquiring technologies such as immuno-oncology drugs or chemotherapy agents that can synergize with cell therapies." The core of their own follow-up pipeline includes the general natural killer (NK) cell therapy 'AB-101' and the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK therapy 'AB-201.' AB-101 is being developed by the U.S. subsidiary Artiva Biotherapeutics, which has received approval for a Phase 1 clinical trial application (IND) in the U.S. AB-201 has obtained IND approval in Korea and Australia and plans to complete clinical trials by the second half of next year. Unlike AB-101, GC Cell plans to develop AB-201 directly to diversify risk.

CEO Park presented securing a proprietary platform as GC Cell's next goal. He said, "The plan is to develop a proprietary platform and export the technology to secure continuous royalty income." He added, "We are reviewing gene editing therapies such as CRISPR-Cas9 and gene therapy platforms like non-viral vectors," and said, "By the end of this year, we will begin full-scale exploration of one of these."