Hyundai Bioscience Gains Pancreatic Cancer Patent for Penetrium, Prioritizes Combination Therapy Trials

News | 2025-08-20 08:59:47
[mediK / HEALTH IN NEWS] SEOUL, South Korea — On August 18, Hyundai Bioscience, a leading South Korean biotechnology firm, announced that it had secured an exclusive patent license from its parent company, C&Pharm, for Penetrium—an experimental cancer drug designed to overcome so-called ‘pseudo-resistance’ in pancreatic cancer. The royalty-free license is intended to fast-track clinical trials and commercialization, allowing Hyundai Bioscience to advance both Penetrium and Polytaxel as treatment candidates for pancreatic cancer.

Penetrium targets the tumor microenvironment, breaking down barriers created by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Preclinical studies demonstrated that combining Penetrium with gemcitabine at half the usual dose achieved a 92% tumor suppression rate—comparable to standard full-dose therapy. Side effects and toxicity were reduced by more than half compared to gemcitabine alone. Safety was supported by a 13-week repeated-dose toxicity study and use in over 300 patients, with combination therapy doses amounting to just 1/20th of the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL). Penetrium also demonstrated effectiveness in inhibiting both primary tumors and metastases.

Hyundai Bioscience logo. (Photo courtesy of Hyundai Bioscience)
Hyundai Bioscience logo. (Photo courtesy of Hyundai Bioscience)


Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies, with most patients diagnosed at advanced stages when surgery is no longer an option. Delays in treatment substantially worsen survival outcomes. Currently, gemcitabine—the standard treatment—extends overall survival by about six months and progression-free survival by two to three months. With minimal advancements in new therapies over the past decade, Penetrium’s clinical trials mark a significant development.

Hyundai Bioscience plans to prioritize Penetrium combination trials ahead of its ongoing Polytaxel program, citing the potential for expedited regulatory review. The company views this as a critical step to address unmet needs in pancreatic cancer care.

“This trial goes beyond conventional drug development—it is the first global combination therapy to directly address pseudo-resistance in pancreatic cancer,” said Keun-woo Jin, CEO of Hyundai Bioscience. “We are confident this could bring new hope to patients battling this devastating disease.”

Kim Kuk Ju, medi·K TEAM press@themedik.kr
Copyright © 2020 mediK. All rights reserved.

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