Responding to Various Mutations...
Full-Scale Development of Innovative New Drugs Begins
Idions, a company specializing in anticancer drug development under the Ildong Pharmaceutical Group, announced on the 24th that its drug candidate "ID12241" has been selected as a target project for the "2025 First National New Drug Development Project" organized by the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF).
ID12241 is a novel anticancer drug candidate with a pan-KRAS inhibitory mechanism, targeting non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer that have mutations in "KRAS," an intracellular signaling protein closely associated with cancer development.
At the agreement ceremony held on the 23rd at the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF) office in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Lee Wonsik, CEO of Idions (left), and Park Youngmin, head of KDDF, are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Idions
With the designation of ID12241 as a project under the national new drug development initiative, Idions will receive research funding over the next two years to be used for the discovery of new drug substances and related research activities.
According to Idions, KRAS gene mutations are observed in more than approximately 10% of all solid tumor patients. In particular, the development of therapeutics for KRAS mutations such as G12D, G12V, and G13D has been relatively underexplored compared to G12C mutations.
ID12241 has demonstrated strong anticancer activity not only against G12C but also against various KRAS mutations such as G12D and G12V. As a result, it is expected to offer a new alternative for patients with a wide range of KRAS-mutant cancers, including cases where existing therapies are ineffective.
Previously, Idions presented preclinical efficacy evaluation data related to ID12241 at the 2025 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting. According to the research results, ID12241 showed excellent cytotoxicity against cancer cells with KRAS mutations and exhibited outstanding drug characteristics such as sustained in vivo efficacy, confirming its potential as a next-generation KRAS inhibitor.
Idions plans to accelerate the optimization of the ID12241 drug candidate and other related research, with the goal of entering preclinical trials by 2027. The company also intends to leverage its collaboration with the KDDF to focus its capabilities on the new drug development project, which will progress through preclinical and clinical trials.
Lee Wonsik, CEO of Idions, stated, "ID12241 is a candidate with the potential to become an innovative new drug, offering anticancer efficacy and drug properties that can address unmet needs in the oncology field. We will do our utmost to achieve outstanding results together with the KDDF."
Meanwhile, the National New Drug Development Project is an inter-ministerial national R&D initiative aimed at strengthening the global competitiveness of Korea's pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Since 2021, the project has supported all stages of new drug development over a ten-year period, with goals including the reinforcement of Korea's new drug R&D ecosystem, the achievement of global commercialization outcomes, and the creation of public benefits in the health and medical sectors.
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