[Edaily Reporter NA EUN-KYUNG ] Aptabio Therapeutics Inc.(293780)announced on the 20th that the Phase 1 clinical trial design for Apta-16, a next-generation aptamer-drug conjugate (Apta-DC)-based blood cancer treatment, has been accepted for a poster presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO 2026).

ESMO is considered one of the world’s three major cancer societies, alongside the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and will be held in Madrid, Spain, this coming October. With its presentation accepted at ESMO 2026, following AACR 2025 and AACR 2026, Apta-16 will be presented consecutively at major global cancer conferences.

Apta-16 is a drug candidate currently in development for the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML). According to the company, this disease is an intractable blood cancer with a high recurrence rate and limited treatment options, creating significant demand for new therapies capable of overcoming drug resistance to existing treatments.

Apta-16 is a first-in-class drug candidate that targets nucleolin, which is overexpressed on the surface of leukemia cells. It is designed to bypass the resistance mechanisms of existing therapies by selectively delivering cytarabine into cancer cells via a receptor-mediated endocytosis mechanism. Furthermore, the company explained that nucleolin is known to be expressed in most patients with acute myeloid leukemia, regardless of specific genetic mutations, and is also expressed in various solid tumors such as pancreatic and colorectal cancers, raising expectations for future expansion of indications.

Aptabio Therapeutics Inc. previously presented preclinical results targeting cytarabine-resistant cell lines at AACR 2025 and research findings in a venetoclax-resistant animal model at AACR 2026.

An Aptabio Therapeutics Inc. official stated, “The fact that our presentations have been consecutively accepted at major global cancer conferences signifies that Apta-16’s differentiated mechanism of action continues to attract attention from the academic community,” adding, “We plan to enter Phase 1 clinical trials within this year while actively seeking technology transfer opportunities.”

Meanwhile, Aptabio Therapeutics Inc. aims to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its Phase 1 clinical trial in the third quarter of this year and to administer the first dose to a patient by the end of the year. “Apta-16” received Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2021.