LG Chem's 'Next-Generation Anticancer Drug' LB-LR1109 Begins Phase 1 Clinical Trial in the US

LG Chem announced on the 11th that it will officially begin clinical development of a next-generation immune checkpoint inhibitor to expand treatment opportunities for patients with solid tumors.

LG Chem revealed on the same day that patient enrollment has been completed for the Phase 1 clinical trial in the United States of LB-LR1109 (code name LR19155), its first self-developed anticancer drug candidate. LB-LR1109 is a single antibody drug that inhibits leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor (LILR) B1. It blocks the binding between LILRB1, an immune checkpoint molecule expressed on various immune cells, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G, a protein expressed on cancer cells that prevents immune cell attacks, thereby simultaneously activating the functions of immune cells throughout the body.

LG Chem explained that the target protein LILRB1 is commonly expressed not only on T cells, a representative immune cell, but also on multiple immune cells such as natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages (phagocytes), distinguishing it from existing immune checkpoint inhibitors that focus solely on the action of single immune cells like T cells. The drug has demonstrated dose-dependent anticancer effects in solid tumor animal models, and based on this, it received Investigational New Drug (IND) approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December last year.

LG Chem plans to recruit patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors in Korea and the United States to evaluate safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. The company also intends to establish late-stage clinical development and approval strategies through close collaboration with Aveo Pharmaceuticals, a specialized oncology business organization acquired in January last year.

According to market research firm GlobalData, the global immune checkpoint inhibitor market is expected to continue expanding from $50 billion (approximately 69 trillion KRW) last year to $82 billion (approximately 113 trillion KRW) by 2028.

Jiwung Son, Head of Life Sciences Business Division at LG Chem, stated, “We are concentrating our company-wide capabilities to provide an ‘innovative treatment experience’ recognized and felt by medical professionals, patients, and all customers worldwide,” adding, “We will continue to offer differentiated treatment options in the oncology field, where unmet medical needs are greatest.”