Chong Kun Dang said that it has entered into a strategic partnership with ENCell to conduct joint research on innovative drugs.
Under the accord, Chong Kun Dang will conduct cell and gene therapy research and development by using ENCell's cell and gene therapy development know-how and production technology.
The two companies will accelerate joint R&D and production to develop advanced biopharmaceutical products, including gene therapy products such as chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) and adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based virus products and cell therapies.
Chong Kun Dang plans to conduct global clinical trials by screening target proteins for various solid cancers based on expertise accumulated through research on anticancer drugs, including Camptobel. ENCell will develop processes for gene therapies and produce candidate materials and clinical samples based on its production technology.
“Chong Kun Dang has recently secured an RNA-based platform technology, increasing the potential for development as a cancer vaccine and rare disease treatment while expanding the scope of new drug development, such as gene therapy and cell therapy,” a company official said. “Through the agreement with ENCell, we will build a cooperative system to speed up developing cutting-edge biopharmaceuticals that will lead the global market.”
An ENCell official said, “We are very happy to participate in developing and producing CAR-T and AAV products with Chong Kun Dang, using our cell and gene therapy good manufacturing practice (GMP) technology and know-how.”
The official added that the company would do its best to produce non-clinical and clinical samples in various pipelines.