GC Cell Registers Patent for Pancreatic Cancer CAR-T Therapy, Aiming for US Clinical Trials

[Asia Economy, Reporter Yoo Hyunseok] GC Cell, a company specializing in cell therapy, announced on February 9 that it has completed the registration of a domestic patent for a "mesothelin-specific chimeric antigen receptor and T cells expressing the same."

The patented CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptor)-T therapy targets mesothelin, which is overexpressed in solid tumors, and demonstrated a groundbreaking effect of complete remission (CR) in an orthotopic pancreatic cancer mouse model. The anticancer activity was sustained for more than eight weeks, offering hope for a potential cure to patients suffering from pancreatic cancer, a notoriously difficult-to-treat disease.

While CAR-T therapy is known for its strong and lasting anticancer effects, no on-target off-tumor toxicity was observed. It was confirmed that the therapy does not attack normal cells, which is one of the most severe side effects of CAR-T. In addition, the company explained that it has identified a therapeutic window suitable for clinical application, making rapid clinical trial implementation possible.

Mesothelin has recently emerged as a prominent cancer antigen in the field of solid tumor-targeting CAR-T therapies, with reported expression rates of 85-90% in mesothelioma, 80-85% in pancreatic cancer, and 60-65% in ovarian and lung cancers. In particular, solid tumors present challenges such as low T cell infiltration due to the tumor microenvironment and suppression of immune function in infiltrating T cells, making it difficult to achieve sufficient anticancer effects. In fact, currently approved CAR-T therapies are limited to hematologic cancers, and ongoing research in solid tumors has yet to yield significant results, leaving many unmet needs in this field.

Lee Deukjoo, CEO of GC Cell, stated, "The CAR-T therapy for which we have registered this patent demonstrates the most outstanding efficacy among the solid tumor-targeting CAR-T candidates currently being developed at GC Cell, and we are working to advance it into clinical trials in the United States. We have also filed an international patent application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), and are aiming to secure overseas patents, including in the United States, in the near future."

He added, "With this patent, another step has been completed toward entering CAR-T clinical trials in the United States. GC Cell has already secured platform technology for solid tumor-targeting CAR-T therapies and plans to continue announcing research and development results on various CAR structures."

In March of last year, GC Cell announced results from a preclinical trial of its pancreatic cancer CAR-T therapy, showing 100% eradication of cancer cells. Through its U.S. subsidiary, Novacel Inc., established last year, the company is accelerating research and development efforts to enter clinical trials in the United States.

In addition, GC Cell is actively pursuing a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) business specializing in cell therapies, utilizing its top-tier GMP facilities for cell therapy products in Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.