Sillajen said Wednesday it has entered an agreement with CHA Bundang Hospital to co-develop an immunotherapy combination treatment.

Under the accord, the two sides will conduct a phase 2 clinical trial to confirm the objective response rate for Pexa-vec and Opdivo as a combination therapy, for 60 patients with colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, pancreas cancer or other solid tumors.

Previous researches have shown that Pexa-vec can overcome immunity of conventional immunotherapy by inducing immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment, which is why the company expects a synergistic effect with an anticancer drug, Shillajen said.

By expanding the combination therapy to Pexa-vec and immunotherapeutic agents, the company plans to strengthen its competitiveness in the therapeutic market by laying the foundation for new treatment options.

“We will expand the cooperation based on the strength of CHA Bundang Hospital’s initial clinical trial execution platform and basic medicinal research capacity, and develop the combination treatment into a best in class drug,” Sillajen Vice President Song Myung-seok said.