[Edaily Reporter NA EUN-KYUNG ] Ahn Seong-hwan, CEO of Genomictree Inc.(228760), personally hosted an investor relations (IR) briefing for the first time in six years. This comes as the company’s early-stage cancer diagnosis business has moved beyond the research, development, and regulatory approval stages and entered full-scale commercialization, while its new drug development platform is also yielding tangible results. This move is seen as an effort to personally explain two key objectives: expanding revenue from the existing diagnostics business and demonstrating the value of the next-generation drug development platform.

On the 30th, CEO Ahn held an online investor relations (IR) session to present the commercialization plan for the early-stage cancer diagnostic product “EarlyTec” and the research results of the messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapeutic platform “LipoRnaX.” This marks CEO Ahn’s first appearance as an IR presenter in approximately six years, following an event hosted by SamsungSecurities in December 2020.

In this presentation, the company placed greater emphasis on its new drug platform than on its existing core diagnostic business. EarlyTec-B is set to secure domestic approval and European certification this year and is pursuing entry into the non-insurance-covered market, while EarlyTec-C aims for insurance coverage next year. Having established a commercial foundation for its diagnostic business, the company intends to actively promote the results of its new drug development, which will determine its future corporate value.

Results

from Animal Studies on RAS Degraders… Potential for Treating Brain Diseases Also Suggested

During this investor relations event, Genomictree Inc. disclosed preclinical results for anticancer drugs and treatments for degenerative brain diseases utilizing LipoRnaX.

LiponaX is a platform that encapsulates therapeutic agents, such as mRNA, within lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and delivers them to target tissues. The company is using this platform to develop a protein degradation inducer (PROTAC) that eliminates RAS mutant proteins involved in cancer cell growth.

RAS is a protein that regulates cell growth and division; when mutations occur in this gene, it causes cancer cells to proliferate continuously. In particular, mutations in the KRAS gene—part of the RAS family—are found in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer patients. However, due to the protein’s structure, it has long been considered a major challenge in anticancer drug development because drugs have difficulty binding to it. Although treatments targeting specific mutations have recently been developed, they have limitations in broadly addressing a wide range of mutations.

Genomictree Inc. is taking a different approach: rather than inhibiting the function of the RAS protein like existing treatments, it aims to degrade the mutated protein itself. Following the release of results from cell experiments demonstrating the degradation of various types of mutated RAS proteins, the company has now reported on the anticancer effects observed in a pancreatic cancer animal model. According to the company, tumor growth was suppressed in animals administered the degrading agent compared to the control group. This suggests the potential to develop the treatment for use in patients with various RAS mutations following further validation.

Progress was also made in the field of degenerative brain diseases. When an mRNA therapeutic designed to selectively degrade pathological tau protein—which is involved in Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions—was administered to cells, levels of not only phosphorylated tau but also phosphorylated alpha-synuclein, a protein associated with Parkinson’s disease, were reduced.

In a separate animal study, the company confirmed the potential for delivery to brain and spinal cord tissues following intravenous administration of a brain-targeted LNP.
Expansion of

EarlyTec-B Prescriptions at Hospitals… EarlyTec-C Seeks New Sales Partners

In the diagnostics business, the company is accelerating sales growth by leveraging external sales networks.

The bladder cancer diagnostic product EarlyTec-B has been available at select health screening centers since last March, and the company plans to expand non-insured prescriptions starting at the end of the year, focusing on tertiary general hospitals. University hospitals will be handled by internal staff, while the Samkwang Medical Foundation will conduct sales primarily at hospitals with which it already has business relationships.

The company is also seeking a sales partner for EarlyTec-C, its colorectal cancer diagnostic product. During a Q&A session, CEO Ahn explained, “We are reviewing potential partner companies to handle sales at clinics.”

EarlyTec-C applied for a New Medical Technology Assessment last March, with the goal of securing insurance coverage by 2027. Since the company has completed the test code registration process at approximately 75% of tertiary general hospitals, it plans to leverage its existing hospital network to expand prescriptions once it enters the insurance market.

Regarding the future technology export strategy for the new drug platform, CEO Ahn stated, “At present, our top priority is to perfect the technology itself rather than seeking out companies that need it to pursue licensing agreements,” adding, “We also plan to secure personnel to handle specialized business development (BD) roles in line with the progress of development.”