[BIO USA] Curocell introduces ‘Hyperkine’ to address 바카라 전략 persistence challenges and target solid tumors

[by Ji, Yong Jun] Curocell is drawing increasing global attention with the introduction of ‘Hyperkine,’ its next-generation platform designed to target ‘solid tumors.’ This technology is regarded as a novel approach that addresses the issue of limited in vivo persistence, a key limitation of conventional chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies, and has the potential to extend therapeutic applications beyond hematologic malignancies to include solid cancers.

Lee Ji-na, team leader at Curocell, spoke with <THE BIO> on June 18 (local time) during the ‘2025 Bio International Convention (BIO USA)’ held in Boston, USA. She stated, “We have introduced Hyperkine, a CAR-T platform targeting solid tumors,” and added, “We intend to highlight the strengths of the Hyperkine platform in various solid cancer indications, as well as share updates on the development of next-generation cell therapies, including allogeneic (homologous) CAR-T currently in progress.”

Hyperkine represents Curocell’s core technology positions as a next-generation CAR-T platform aimed at overcoming the challenges of treating solid tumors. As the technology is currently undergoing patent registration, Lee disclosed only limited aspects of its conceptual framework during the interview.

The limited success of existing CAR-T therapies in treating solid tumors is largely attributed to the absence of precise target antigens or the rapid clearance of CAR-T cells from the body, even when a target is identified. According to Lee, Hyperkine has been designed to overcome these challenges. “Hyperkine enhances the persistence of CAR-T cells, thereby extending their capacity to combat cancer cells,” she explained. “We are currently developing the platform for prostate cancer targeting the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). There are plans to broaden its application to a range of solid tumor targets in the future.”

The development of allogeneic 바카라 전략 therapy targeting CD5 is also progressing rapidly. The primary advantage of the allogeneic approach lies in its cost competitiveness, unlike the autologous method, which requires patient-specific cell manufacturing, enabling mass production and significantly lowering manufacturing costs.

“The CD5-targeting CAR-T is specifically designed to bind to peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL),” Lee explained. “The issue of immune rejection, a major concern in CAR-T treatment, has been addressed through ‘armoring,’ a technique that enhances the persistence and survival of CAR-T cells by incorporating genes that help them overcome the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.”

Curocell is advancing the development of CD5-targeting 바카라 전략 therapy for PTCL, a type of T-cell-derived hematologic malignancy for which no standard treatment currently exists. Given the limited therapeutic options and high recurrence rates associated with PTCL, there is significant unmet medical need and strong demand for novel treatments.

According to an abstract presented at this year’s American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, Curocell's CD5-targeting allogeneic γδ CAR-T demonstrated over a tenfold increase in cell proliferation following the application of membrane-bound IL-18 (mbIL-18) technology. A strong antitumor effect was also observed in a T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) xenograft model. Furthermore, by simultaneously knocking down the CD5 and PD-1 genes, the therapy reduced fratricide among CAR-T cells and enhanced therapeutic efficacy by mitigating immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment.

The global response to both the Hyperkine platform and the homologous CD5-targeting CAR-T has been favorable. “We are actively engaged in partnership and co-development discussions with major global pharmaceutical companies, as well as strategic investor meetings,” Lee said. “We have held meetings with approximately 10 companies demonstrating strong potential for investment and business collaboration. We intend to continue in-depth discussions on both the Hyperkine platform and the CD5-targeting CAR-T in Korea.”

Curocell’s lead pipeline candidate, ‘Anbal-cel,’ a CD19-targeting CAR-T therapy, is currently under regulatory review for product approval by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for the treatment of relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). The company anticipates approval by the end of this year and is simultaneously pursuing technology export partnerships for Anbal-cel, targeting not only the U.S. and European markets but also expanding into the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

“In addition to launching Anbal-cel in the Korean market first, we plan to expand partnerships with countries where CAR-T therapies are currently unavailable,” Lee noted. “We are considering local market entry following small-scale bridging clinical trials, in consultation with the respective regulatory authorities,” she added.

Conversely, 바카라 전략 recently presented the final results of its Phase 2 clinical trial for Anbal-cel at the 18th International Conference of Malignant Lymphoma (ICML 2025), held in Lugano, Switzerland. Among the 79 patients treated with Anbal-cel, 75.3% (55 patients) achieved an objective response rate (ORR), and 67.1% (53 patients) achieved complete remission (CR).

The median follow-up duration was 8.5 months, long-term follow-up data revealed progression-free survival (PFS) rates of 41.1% at 12 months and 35.2% at 18 months, while overall survival (OS) rates were 66.6% and 57.3% at the same time points, respectively. Additionally, the median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 6.0 months, approximately double the mPFS (2.9 months) observed in the ‘Kymriah’ clinical trial.