VaxCell-Bio secures KDDF funding to develop solid tumor dual-target CAR-T therapy

VaxCell-Bio, a pharmaceutical firm developing anti-cancer therapy products in Korea, said it signed an agreement  with the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF) last Friday to receive funding for the R&D of a solid tumor dual-targeting chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy targeting programmed death ligand (PD-L1) and EPH Receptor A2 (EphA2), prevalent biomarkers in refractory solid tumors, from April 2024 to December 2025.

VaxCell-Bio said its upgraded CAR-T therapy — based on its monobody platform — simultaneously targets EphA2, a tumor marker, and PD-L1, an immune checkpoint inhibitor. This approach aims to eliminate cancer cells within the tumor microenvironment by blocking immune evasion and enhancing attack capabilities. 

"We filed a patent for our solid tumor dual-targeting CAR-T therapy utilizing the monobody platform last November. Our focus is on developing a third-generation, versatile cancer treatment that overcomes the limitations of current immunotherapies like Keytruda and Tecentriq, ensuring efficacy and safety,” Lee Je-jung, CEO of VaxCell-Bio, said. “The support from KDDF is a testament to our global aspirations and will play a crucial role in advancing VaxCell-Bio's innovative drug development initiatives."

KDDF previously selected VaxCell-Bio's research project on the development of a dual-target CAR-T solid tumor cell therapy for refractory cancers such as ovarian, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers for candidate selection in support of outstanding new drug development projects aimed at promoting global expansion and partnerships.

"KDDF aims to strengthen the global competitiveness of the domestic pharmaceutical and biotech industries through its national R&D initiatives,” said Park Yeong-min, CEO of KDDF. “We hope that successful progress in developing multi-target CAR-T therapy for solid tumors will bring us closer to realizing our dream of an effective treatment for solid cancers."

VaxCell-Bio recently presented its research progress and future plans for the PD-L1 ∙ EphA2 dual-target CAR-T therapy for solid tumors at BIO International Convention 2024 (BIO USA 2024) on June 5 and received accolades from global pharmaceutical and biotech industry stakeholders at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in April for its poster on CAR-T therapy efficacy and toxicity data targeting PD-L1.