S. Korea's SillaJen launches clinical trials in US for new anti-cancer drug

South Korean biotech company Sillajen Inc. has started recruiting patients for Phase 1 clinical trials in the US for an anti-cancer drug from a Swiss pharmaceutical company.

SillaJen plans to expedite clinical development and promote technology transfer.

SillaJen CEO Kim Jae-kyung on Tuesday told a news conference at Korea Press Center in Seoul, "Three clinical institutions in the US this month will start recruiting patients for Phase 1 clinical trials of BAL0891," adding, "We will quickly conduct Phase 1 to fill the unmet demand for new anti-cancer drugs."

The company plans to hold clinical trials for intractable carcinomas such as those of triple-negative breast cancer and expand indications to other carcinomas such as those of blood cancer. BAL0891, a candidate substance for suppressing mitotic checkpoints, was introduced by SillaJen from Basilia Pharmaceutica International of Switzerland; the Korean company also has an exclusive license for use of the substance.

Preclinical studies have shown that BAL0891 effectively inhibits an array of cancer cells including those of triple-negative breast, endometrial, colorectal, urothelial, gastric and kidney cancer. Intravenous administration of the drug instead of oral also proved more effective against cancer.

Write to Jae-Young Han at jyhan@hankyung.com