Expanding Multiple Promising Pipelines
Systematizing R&D Through Affiliates
Ildong Pharmaceutical Group's affiliate, Idience, is rapidly expanding its promising pipeline and accelerating its efforts in anticancer drug development. The group aims to systematize new drug research and development by leveraging its various subsidiaries, including Idience, Unovia, and iReed BMS.
According to Ildong Pharmaceutical Group on July 10, Idience is a company specializing in anticancer drug development that focuses on innovative new drug research targeting unmet needs in the field of oncology. The company has a pipeline that includes the next-generation targeted anticancer drug berzosertib, a pan-KRAS inhibitor, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
Berzosertib, an oral targeted anticancer agent in the PARP (Poly ADP-ribose polymerase) inhibitor class, selectively induces the death of cancer cells by inhibiting the PARP enzyme, which is involved in repairing DNA damage in cells.
Idience is reportedly conducting clinical studies of berzosertib for various types of cancer. In particular, in the field of gastric cancer, the company has received Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) from the US FDA and is developing a new treatment method that combines berzosertib with the chemotherapeutic agent irinotecan.
In May, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Idience presented the exploratory analysis results of a phase 1b/2a clinical trial of the berzosertib-irinotecan combination therapy for patients with metastatic gastric cancer (mGC) who had received at least two prior lines of therapy, in the form of a poster presentation.
According to the poster, the combination therapy using berzosertib showed a significant correlation between efficacy in metastatic gastric cancer patients and the presence of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) gene mutations, with especially greater potential observed in patients with HRD gene mutations.
The results of the phase 1b/2a clinical trial of the berzosertib and irinotecan combination therapy showed a median progression-free survival (mPFS) of 4.2 months (95% CI: 2.9-5.5) and a median overall survival (mOS) of 8.0 months (95% CI: 6.7-11.4).
In the subgroup of patients with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), such as ATM or BRCA1/2 mutations, the mPFS was 8.3 months (95% CI: 1.2-23.6) and the mOS was 9.9 months (95% CI: 6.7-33.9).
At the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in April, Idience also unveiled four new pipeline candidates: the cancer stem cell-targeting anticancer agent 'ID12023,' the KRAS mutation-targeting anticancer agent for non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer 'ID12241,' the refractory prostate cancer treatment 'ID11916,' and the ADC loaded with a PARP1 inhibitor 'ID12401.'
'ID12023' is a new drug candidate that treats refractory malignant tumors by normalizing microRNA expression in cancer cells. It was invited as an oral presentation research project in the 'microRNAs and Other noncoding RNAs' session at this year's AACR.
ID12023 was found to effectively regulate key cancer stem cell markers such as OCT4, SOX2, and MYC. In both in vitro and in vivo tumor models, it demonstrated tumor-suppressing effects, as well as pharmacokinetic advantages such as bioavailability (over 30%) and a half-life of about three hours.
ID12241, selected as a poster presentation project, is a drug with a pan-KRAS inhibitor mechanism, showing anticancer activity against various KRAS-mutant cancers, including G12C, G12D, and G12V mutations.
According to research results, ID12241 exhibited excellent target selectivity and tumor-suppressing effects, and demonstrated outstanding cytotoxicity against cancer cells with KRAS mutations. It also showed favorable drug characteristics, such as sustained efficacy in vivo, confirming its potential as a next-generation KRAS inhibitor.
ID12241 was recently selected as a project for the '2025 First National New Drug Development Project' led by the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF). The company plans to continue optimizing the drug candidate and conducting related research, aiming to enter preclinical trials by 2027.
ID12401, an ADC, is an anticancer agent that uses a PARP1 inhibitor as its payload. As a next-generation anticancer platform, it has the potential to overcome resistance and toxicity issues seen in existing chemotherapy and ADCs. In vitro and in vivo tumor model studies confirmed its strong anticancer effects, and it also demonstrated safety, with no observed hematological toxicity or weight loss side effects.
An official from Ildong Pharmaceutical Group stated, "While we will continue various clinical studies that highlight the competitiveness and unique features of our new drug pipeline, we also plan to pursue domestic and international commercialization discussions, seek business partners, and promote out-licensing opportunities."
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