Push for Development of Innovative Drugs

GC Pharma  is stepping up efforts to upgrade its existing products and develop innovative new drugs based on its research capabilities accumulated through the localization of blood products and vaccines.

The company is carrying out phase II and III clinical trials on HepaBig-Gin (GC1102), a recombinant hepatitis B immunoglobulin which is closest to commercialization in the world. The drug has higher antibody purity and better viral suppression than blood plasma-based products so it can reduce drug administration time into one sixth. Last year, GC Pharma  started to inject the drug into patients in its clinical trial phase II, and is using the drug in combination with antiviral drugs to maximize therapeutic effects. The company is also carrying out a clinical trial to win approval on the use of the drug for treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

In 2019, GC Pharma founded Curevo in Seattle of the United States, and is engaging in phase I clinical trial for a next-generation premium shingles vaccine (CRV-101). The company released the results of the first phase of the clinical trial last year in collaboration with IDRI, a local research institute with extensive clinical experience in vaccine development. The results showed that no serious negative side effects occurred after the intake of the drug.

GC Pharma is also working on developing hemophilia antibody treatment (MG1113) which started its Phase 1 clinical trial last year. The drug can be used for both type-A and -B hemophilia patients as well as for patients with resistance to existing drugs. It is a high-dose formulation that has a longer half-life than other drugs, thereby reducing the frequency of drug administration, pain. It can be used via subcutaneous injection.

Meanwhile, GC Pharma Cell, a cell therapy subsidiary of GC Pharma, announced on Jan. 20 that it completed the registration of a Korean patent on a mesothelin-specific chimeric antigen receptor and T cells showing it. A patented chimeric antigen receptor or CAR is a new mesothelin-binding domain that targets solid cancer antigens and contains human-derived antibodies rather than mouse-derived ones that show the disadvantages and limitations of existing CAR-T drugs. Accordingly, it is highly safe and generates strong anti-cancer effects.

Immunecell-LC, the flagship product of GC Pharma Cell, is an immune anticancer drug that extracts immune cells from a patient's own blood and makes them into powerful immune cells that maximize anticancer functions through a special culture process. The company is developing a pancreatic cancer CAR-T treatment drug as a next-generation immune anticancer drug by utilizing cell therapy technology accumulated through the development, commercialization, and production of Immunecell-LC.

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