SillaJen Presents Two BAL0891 Research Findings at AACR in the US

On April 21, SillaJen announced that two research findings on its anticancer drug candidate BAL0891, which is currently under development, were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026.

The AACR Annual Meeting, held in San Diego, California from April 17 to 22 (local time), is recognized as one of the world’s top three and most prestigious conferences in the field of cancer research.

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Two studies were presented at this event. The first study, conducted in collaboration with Professor Sunyoung Ra’s team from Yonsei University College of Medicine, demonstrated through the analysis of 40 patient-derived gastric cancer organoids and multi-omics analysis that the drug responsiveness of BAL0891 may vary depending on the molecular background of the tumor. Multi-omics analysis allows for a three-dimensional reconstruction of the entire process from the cause (genome) to the outcome (metabolome) of a specific disease. This forms the foundation for realizing precision medicine tailored to the molecular characteristics of individual patients.

In tumors with KRAS/SMAD4 mutations, high TTK expression was associated with BAL0891 sensitivity. After drug treatment, a decrease in TTK/pHH3 and impaired SAC function were observed as pharmacodynamic features of effective response. In contrast, in tumors with PTEN/PIK3CA/BRAF mutations, the potential for resistance associated with AKT protein survival signaling was suggested, indicating a direction for developing patient selection biomarkers and combination strategies.

The second study, conducted in collaboration with Professor Jungyeon Lee’s team from Hanyang University College of Medicine, confirmed that TTK and PLK1 are relatively highly expressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). BAL0891 was shown to inhibit proliferation, induce G2/M cell cycle arrest, promote apoptosis, and suppress metastasis-related phenotypes in both cell and animal models. Notably, the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of BAL0891 were maintained even under G-CSF administration, and in some models, its effects in inhibiting migration and invasion were further enhanced. This suggests that BAL0891 may retain antitumor activity even in clinical settings requiring neutropenia management.

A SillaJen official stated, “We are very encouraged that various preclinical research results related to BAL0891 were presented at this year’s AACR. We deeply appreciate the dedication of the professors and researchers, and the company will continue to do its utmost in ongoing clinical studies to consistently evaluate the therapeutic potential of BAL0891.”

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