Chong Kun Dang Signs License Agreement for Curigen Gene Therapy 'CA102'

Jongkundang announced on the 22nd that it has signed a licensing agreement for the gene therapy CA102 with Curigen, a company specializing in RNA interference (RNAi)-based gene therapy development.

Jongkundang Headquarters Exterior
[Photo by Jongkundang]

Through this agreement, Jongkundang has secured global rights to CA102 and plans to conduct exclusive research, development, and commercialization targeting superficial bladder cancer as the first indication. CA102 is a gene therapy that inserts short hairpin RNA (shRNA) into an oncolytic virus engineered to recognize molecules specifically expressed in various cancer cells. Curigen's platform technology is applied to the shRNA, which is designed to simultaneously target the genes mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) and STAT3, both involved in cancer cell proliferation and metastasis through intracellular signaling pathways.

CA102 is attracting attention as a new drug that enhances anticancer effects by specifically recognizing and acting on tumors to increase safety while dually targeting two genes related to cancer cell growth and metastasis. The bladder cancer targeted by this drug is primarily treated with chemotherapy. Although immunotherapy and targeted anticancer agents have recently been proposed as treatment options, the high rate of resistance and recurrence limits the choice of therapies, resulting in a high unmet need disease often leading to bladder removal.

A Jongkundang official stated, “Jongkundang has established the gene therapy research center ‘Gen2C’ at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, equipped with specialized personnel and excellent infrastructure for gene therapy development,” and added, “CA102, developed using Curigen’s proprietary dual-target shRNA technology, will strengthen Jongkundang’s anticancer drug pipeline and become an innovative alternative for bladder cancer treatment.” A Curigen representative also said, “We are pleased that the gene anticancer therapy developed based on dual-target RNAi technology has entered the full development stage through this agreement,” and expressed expectations that “Jongkundang, with its expertise in anticancer drug development, will successfully complete clinical trials and provide new treatment options for patients suffering from cancer.”