NKMAX's natural killer (NK) cell-based therapy, SNK01, is being tested for the effectiveness in the treatment of stroke.

NKMAX said on Friday that its U.S. subsidiary, NKGen Biotech, has received Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval of Hospital Angeles in Mexico to treat a stroke patient with SNK01.

The patient, in her 60s, has been receiving SNK01 since April after suffering a stroke three years ago that left her with right hemiparesis and speech impairment.

After receiving a total of seven doses of 4 billion SNK01 every four weeks, the patient's speech and physical strength improved, the company said.

Stroke, a cerebrovascular disease, is a fatal condition in which a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain is blocked or ruptured, causing damage to that part of the brain.

In particular, when brain cells are damaged by stroke, it causes various sequelae such as hemiparesis, speech disorder, and cognitive impairment.

The number of stroke cases is increasing due to the aging population.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stroke affects about 13.7 million people worldwide every year, and 5.5 million of them die, making it the second leading cause of death in the world after cardiovascular disease.

SNK01 appears to improve the immune environment in the brain, which may help prevent further cellular damage from neuroinflammation after stroke and its sequelae, such as cognitive impairment, the company said.

"SNK01 may have activity in some brain diseases such as stroke and Alzheimer's," said Paul Song, CEO of NKGen Biotech. "SNK01 appears to play an immunomodulatory role in the brain by removing stroke-damaged brain cells and reducing inflammation."

Earlier on Thursday, NKMAX  said SNK01 received GMP approval from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to treat Alzheimer's disease.