HLB Panagene Embarks on New Drug Development with PNA-Based AOC

High Resistance to Enzymatic Degradation and Precise Binding
Overcoming AOC Limitations
Validation Initiated for Genetic Disorder 'DMD'
"Securing Business Through Therapeutic Development... Creating Mid- to Long-Term Growth Drivers"

On February 3, HLB Panagene announced that it will officially begin developing new drugs based on Antibody-Oligonucleotide Conjugates (AOC), utilizing its proprietary peptide nucleic acid (PNA) technology.

The core of this new drug development initiative is to combine HLB Panagene's PNA-based nucleic acid therapeutic candidates with its partner company's antibody-linker conjugation technology to develop next-generation AOC drug candidates. The significance lies in HLB Panagene expanding its business from precision molecular diagnostics into the therapeutic sector, thereby securing new growth engines for the mid- to long-term.

An AOC is a next-generation therapeutic modality that attaches a nucleic acid therapeutic, which modulates gene function, to the basic structure of an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) composed of an antibody, linker, and payload, replacing the cytotoxic drug. While maintaining the antibody’s precise targeted delivery capability, it directly regulates gene expression, thereby expanding the range of treatable conditions and reducing toxicity. However, a major challenge is that nucleic acid payloads often have low cell permeability. Even if they enter the cell via the antibody, they may become trapped in endosomes and fail to reach their site of action, or be degraded by enzymes, making development particularly difficult.

HLB Panagene explained that it has differentiated itself by adopting PNA as the payload in its AOC platform. HLB stated, "PNA is structurally resistant to degradation and has high target binding accuracy, so after being delivered inside the cell, it is not broken down by nucleases and reaches its site of action precisely," adding, "As a nucleic acid payload, it offers high stability and binding precision."

The company has selected Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) as the first indication to validate the applicability of its PNA-based AOC. DMD is a genetic disorder for which research on delivery strategies using nucleic acid therapeutics and antibodies has been actively underway. Building on this prior research, HLB Panagene plans to confirm similar delivery efficacy and therapeutic potential with its AOC structure using PNA as the payload.

Jang Ingeun, CEO of HLB Panagene, stated, "Based on our proprietary PNA technology, we are now fully entering AOC new drug development and expanding our business into the therapeutic sector," adding, "We will secure competitive candidates in the next-generation precision medicine field and create mid- to long-term growth drivers."

Meanwhile, HLB Panagene has been expanding its global regulatory approvals and export achievements through PNA-based molecular diagnostic products. Recently, the company has also broadened its business scope across precision diagnostics and research by integrating spatial proteomics technology, which precisely identifies the location and expression of proteins in tissues, with artificial intelligence (AI)-based data analysis.

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