2023/09/11 

HK inno.N has partnered with Dong-A ST to develop a next-generation non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. The company announced its ambition to develop a fifth-generation NSCLC treatment through protein degradation, going beyond epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors.

HK inno.N said it signed a joint research agreement with Dong-A ST last Wednesday to develop a treatment for NSCLC.

The company aims to combine its EGFR inhibitor with Dong-A ST’s protein degradation-based technology to create an “EGFR degrader” that targets EGFR-mutated NSCLC.

To this end, HK inno. N will share its existing EGFR inhibitors, and Dong-A ST will share its proteolytic technology to identify next-generation EGFR inhibitor candidates targeting the EGFR L858R mutation.

Dong-A ST has been developing PROTAC technology through its inhibitors since 2017. In December 2021, it introduced an anticancer drug using PROTAC technology from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT). PROTAC utilizes the body's proteolytic system to remove target proteins.

According to HK inno.N, the principle of action of the EGFR inhibitor to be developed by the two companies is that the drug simultaneously binds to the target protein, EGFR, including the L858R mutation, and the intracellular protein degradation system to degrade and eliminate the target protein.

HK inno.N expects to develop more effective treatment by degrading the EGFR protein, which contains major drug-resistant EGFR mutations, such as T790M and C797S double or triple mutations, including the L858R mutation.

While fourth-generation EGFR TKIs are being developed to treat patients who have developed resistance to third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), such as Yuhan Corp.’s Leclaza (lazertinib) and AstraZeneca's Tagrisso (osimertinib), the company also expressed its ambition to develop a so-called "fifth-generation NSCLC drug.

HK inno.N is also developing a fourth-generation EGFR TKI that targets the L858R mutation in NSCLC. It works by inhibiting EGFR by binding to an "allosteric" site in the EGFR protein structure. The research to derive the candidate was selected last month as a project to support the “New Drug R&D Ecosystem Establishment Research” pushed by the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF).

The company also expressed confidence that the collaboration between domestic pharmaceutical companies with experience developing new drugs is highly promising.

"Through this collaboration with Dong-A ST, we plan to develop the allosteric EGFR inhibitor into an EGFR degradation agent to diversify the types of drugs and expand the scope of treatment," said Song Geun-seok, executive vice president of R&D at HK inno.N. "It will be an effective treatment option for existing EGFR drug-resistant patients who have run into limits in treatment."

Dong-A ST General Manager for R&D Park Jae-hong said, "Based on our protease-based technology, we will jointly develop EGFR inhibitors with HK inno.N to target various EGFR mutations and quickly identify candidates that can solve the resistance problem of existing EGFR inhibitors."

Source: https://www.koreabiomed.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=22044