SillaJen's SJ-650 Research Paper Accepted by Top-Tier Global Journal

Published in a World-Class Scientific Journal

SillaJen announced on January 27 that the research results for its next-generation anti-cancer platform technology, SJ-650, have been officially accepted for publication in the prestigious scientific journal "Molecular Therapy."

Molecular Therapy is the official journal of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) and is recognized as a top-tier journal in the field of gene and cell therapy, published by the world-renowned scientific publisher Cell Press. Its impact factor (IF) exceeds 12, and it is known for requiring both technological maturity and clinical scalability in submitted studies. The publication of this paper signifies that the innovation and scientific validity of the SJ-650 technology have been formally recognized by the international scientific community.

SJ-650 is a technology that overcomes the limitations of conventional oncolytic virus therapies, which have shown restricted efficacy due to rapid clearance by the body's complement system and neutralizing antibodies when administered intravenously. By engineering the virus to express the complement regulatory protein CD55 on its surface, SJ-650 is able to reach tumor tissues stably even within the body’s immune environment, distinguishing itself as a systemically deliverable oncolytic virus platform. This represents a technological breakthrough that addresses the structural limitations of existing oncolytic viruses, which have relied on direct intratumoral injection.

The accepted paper, titled "CD55-displaying oncolytic vaccinia virus treated metastatic cancers by evading the effect of host innate and adaptive humoral responses," was co-authored by Professor Lee Dongseop's research team at Seoul National University College of Medicine and SillaJen researchers. The team demonstrated that SJ-650 selectively accumulates in tumor tissues and effectively eradicates tumors even in the presence of neutralizing antibodies, and that it exhibits significant anti-cancer efficacy in metastatic cancer models.

Of particular note is that the neutralizing antibody evasion mechanism of SJ-650 was directly validated using patient-derived serum containing vaccinia virus-specific antibodies. This means that the mechanism was reproduced not only in animal experiments but also under conditions that reflect the actual human immune environment. Furthermore, the study confirmed that repeated administration of SJ-650 maintains its anti-cancer efficacy without a reduction in effectiveness, overcoming the structural limitation of dosing frequency in oncolytic virus therapies. This is a key advantage for establishing long-term treatment and combination strategies. In addition, the demonstrated efficacy against metastatic cancer suggests the potential for expanding indications, thereby increasing pipeline value and market potential.

A SillaJen representative stated, "Having our paper accepted by one of the world's most prestigious journals is objective proof of the technological maturity and global competitiveness of SJ-650," adding, "We plan to continue focusing our capabilities on developing next-generation oncolytic virus pipelines based on the GEEV (Genetically Engineered Enveloped Virus) platform, including SJ-650."

Meanwhile, SillaJen is currently working in collaboration with Leithera, a global CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) based in Italy, to develop the manufacturing process and scale up production of clinical trial materials for SJ-650.