CAR-T Therapy Specialist Company Curecell Passes Preliminary Listing Review

CAR-T therapy specialist company Curecell announced on the 8th that it received preliminary approval for listing on the KOSDAQ from the Korea Exchange on the 7th.

Earlier this year, Curecell completed preparations for a technology-special listing by obtaining ‘A’ and ‘BBB’ ratings from Korea Technology Finance Corporation and Korea Technology Evaluation Data, respectively, both designated by the Korea Exchange. Immediately after this approval, the company plans to prepare all necessary documents for the securities registration statement and then officially proceed with the initial public offering (IPO) process. The joint lead underwriters for the listing are Samsung Securities and Mirae Asset Securities.

Founded in 2016, Curecell is a specialized company developing anticancer cell therapies using immune cells. It leads the CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) therapy field by continuing collaborations with experts in various fields related to new CAR-T technology research, biopharmaceutical development, production, and GMP, as well as major domestic hospitals.

CAR-T therapy is a cell and gene therapy that isolates immune cells called T cells from a patient’s blood and genetically modifies them to effectively eliminate cancer cells. It is known as a ‘miracle anticancer drug’ because it shows high therapeutic efficacy by eliminating tumors with a single dose in terminal blood cancer patients who have no alternatives. Unlike existing treatments that cause side effects such as vomiting and hair loss, CAR-T therapy has fewer risks related to resistance and toxicity.

Curecell was the first in the world to develop OVISTM technology, which enhances CAR-T cell function to further improve therapeutic effects. OVISTM, a next-generation CAR-T technology, strengthens CAR-T cell function by removing the immune checkpoint receptor genes ‘PD-1’ and ‘TIGIT’.

The CD19 CAR-T therapy ‘Anbal-cel (active ingredient Anbalcaptagen Autoluscel)’, which applies this technology, is the first CAR-T therapy to receive clinical trial approval in Korea. After successfully completing Phase 1 clinical trials in January last year, it is currently undergoing Phase 2 clinical trials. Notably, the interim results of Phase 2 were selected as the first oral presentation by a Korean company at the International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML, 2023), the world’s most prestigious conference in June, proving the medical value of Anbal-cel’s research results.

The Anbal-cel clinical trial is being conducted on patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and the company plans to complete Phase 2 within this year and apply for a New Drug Application (NDA) to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in the second half of next year. It is expected that the drug will be available for administration to domestic patients starting in 2025, after obtaining new drug approval.

Kim Geonsu, CEO of Curecell, emphasized, “Passing the preliminary listing review is a recognition of Curecell’s competitiveness, which possesses unique CAR-T technology and Korea’s largest and most advanced GMP facilities.” He added, “Based on our capabilities that have led the domestic CAR-T therapy market since our founding, we will do our best to grow into a global company after listing on the KOSDAQ.”

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