[Edaily Reporter KIM JI-WAN ] A securities industry analysis has indicated that “VRN11,” a new lung cancer drug candidate developed by Voronoi, Inc.(310210), showed potential in early-stage clinical trials to reduce tumors in patients with mutations resistant to existing treatments and to suppress brain metastases.

In a report released on the 17th, Yuanta Securities Korea noted that clinical data on VRN11 is accumulating and maintained its “Buy” rating and target price of 450,000 won for Voronoi, Inc.

The key finding pertains to a patient group with the C797S mutation, which is associated with resistance to EGFR-targeted therapies. All six patients with this mutation who received a dose of 160 mg or more of VRN11 experienced a tumor reduction of 40% or more. The median progression-free survival (mPFS) presented in the report is 11 months. This refers to the median time until the cancer worsens or the patient dies.

Ha Hyun-soo, an analyst at Yuanta Securities Korea, commented, “As the data matures, the progression-free survival period is likely to be extended.”

There were also encouraging signs of efficacy in patients with brain metastases. In the group of patients with brain metastases who received a dose at or above the effective dose, the intracranial disease control rate (iDCR) was 100%. This means that in all evaluable patients, the tumors in the brain either shrank or did not grow further.

Researcher Ha stated, “We believe that the high target selectivity and ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which were confirmed in preclinical studies, are also being demonstrated in the clinical phase.” The blood-brain barrier restricts the entry of drugs into the brain, so the ability to cross it is crucial when developing treatments for brain metastases.

Analysis indicates that the blood concentration necessary to maintain therapeutic efficacy was also consistently achieved. Starting with the 160 mg dose group, the drug concentration required to inhibit major EGFR mutations was maintained until the next dosing time. Tolerability was maintained even as blood concentrations increased with higher doses, and the incidence of Grade 3 or higher adverse events, as presented in the report, was 3%.

Researcher Ha explained, “We view the pharmacokinetic data for VRN11 as encouraging, as we have confirmed both stable blood concentrations and excellent clinical results.”