HK inno.N said it plans to present the interim preclinical research findings on IN-119873, its next-generation allosteric EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) candidate, targeting non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with the L858R genetic mutation, during the upcoming annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in April.
The AACR Annual Meeting 2024 is set to take place in San Diego, U.S., from April 5-10.
According to the company, unlike traditional therapies that target the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding site of cancer cells, IN-119873 aims at the allosteric binding site of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), offering a novel approach to combating NSCLC.
"This innovative drug has shown promising efficacy against EGFR mutations that arise from treatment with first, second, and third-generation EGFR-TKI drugs, and is expected to synergize with third-generation EGFR-TKI in combination therapies," the company said.
"Our goal at the AACR is not only to present our research findings to global experts and companies but also to explore potential collaborations," HK inno. N's Head of New Drug Development Division Kim Bong-tae said. "We aim to complete preclinical research on IN-119873 within the year and apply for an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for phase 1 clinical trials."
HK inno.N started developing IN-119873 after introducing the initial active substance from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology in December 2019.
The substance was selected by the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF) as a recipient of the National Drug Development Program in August of last year, and HK inno.N derived IN-119873 as a result of the program.
In September last year, HK inno.N signed a collaborative research agreement with Dong-A ST to develop existing allosteric EGFR inhibitors as EGFR degrader and have continued to research and develop anticancer drugs targeting non-small cell lung cancer.
Meanwhile, the global interest in next-generation allosteric EGFR-TKIs has surged, evidenced by AstraZeneca's recent acquisition of a similar drug candidate for approximately $540 million.