2022. June. 20

This is an article about Jaein R&P, which is supported by SYP for investment and commercialization.

Cancer is considered the most feared disease today. It's hard to find and treatment is more difficult. The treatment process is difficult and difficult, and even after treatment, it often spreads to other organs in the body. Therefore, the medical and pharmaceutical circles are eager to research and develop anticancer drugs to treat and overcome cancer. We have achieved a lot, but we still have a long way to go. 

News of the development of anti-cancer drugs with high therapeutic effects is heard from time to time, but most are not made of drugs. This is because it failed to pass clinical trials, resulting in resistance, reduced anticancer efficacy, or side effects problems. Among them, a native medical bio-startup is speeding up research and development of anticancer drugs using "natural substances" that are different from the previous one. It is "Jaein R&P" led by CEO Ko Sung-kyu.

CEO Ko Sung-kyu is a professor at Kyung Hee University's College of Oriental Medicine and an exchange professor at Seoul National University's Cancer Research Institute and Clinical Trial Center. He also worked as a visiting professor at the Amdy Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. Having studied oriental medicine and medicine, he worked as a member of the Ministry of Health and Welfare's bio-industry and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's regulatory reform committee based on his experience and experience in both sectors. He is also a member of the National Science and Technology Advisory Council's biomedical expert committee. With this career, he discovered the possibility of natural substance anticancer drugs early on.

"While I was taking care of cancer patients in the hospital, I saw them suffer from great pain. I wanted to help. So when I was at Sangji University, I obtained a Ph.D. in molecular biology and tumor biology, which are essential for new drug development, in the course of training at the Seoul National University Clinical Center and Cancer Research Institute. These were considered very unfamiliar studies at the time. So I studied with young students 10 years younger than me, and the connections I built at that time became a precious relationship even now.

I moved to Kyung Hee University and continued to research and develop cancer treatments. I also supported the development of new drugs for arthritis and depression. Then, it has already been 20 years since I started researching cancer patents and new drugs while working as a professor at the University of Texas Cancer Center

When developing a new drug, you must first find a "therapy substance." Treatment materials are found among existing materials or synthesized. After making a new drug with therapeutic substances, it verifies its performance as a new drug through cell and animal experiments, and clinical trials. CEO Ko Sung-kyu used herbal medicine, a natural substance, as a therapeutic substance by utilizing his major. 

"Most of the anticancer drugs that have been released so far are artificially synthesized therapeutics. So it's highly toxic and easily resistant. On the other hand, anticancer drugs made from natural substances are less toxic and less resistant than anticancer drugs made from synthetic treatments.

Therefore, we made an anticancer drug by adding three herbal medicines to a natural substance reconstructed from Danggwi Blood Soup, which has already been proven to have anticancer effects. Natural substance anticancer drugs have the advantage of being used alone and with other anticancer drugs.”

The natural substance anticancer drug made by Jaein R&P has now received IND (FDA Authorization to Allow Clinical Trials) four times. Step by step through the test process of Phase 1 and Phase 2 of solo use and Phase 1 and Phase 2 of combined use. Among them, phase 1 of solo use has entered clinical trials. CEO Ko Sung-kyu expressed confidence that research and development of natural substance anticancer drugs is progressing smoothly than other new drug anticancer drugs, and that the effect was clearly shown as a result of applying them to cancer lesions removed from cancer patients. 

"There is no place in Korea that has completed phase 1 clinical trials in the field of anticancer drugs, especially oral anticancer drugs. Of course, there have been no natural anti-cancer drugs until now. Jaein R&P's natural substance anticancer drugs are expected to have anti-cancer effects as well as target treatment and biomarker treatment, so we have also set up a clinical plan in this sector. Both the paper and the research results are better than expected.

In fact, I was confident in making natural substance anticancer drugs. Medical bio startups usually receive investments and then apply for an IND, which Jaein R&P started after receiving an IND. Since there are no variables and difficulties until receiving IND, it started far ahead of other medical bio startups.

After gaining experience and focusing on research and development, I started a business after gaining confidence, so I was confident and gained results one by one. Strong advisors to help experiments and clinical trials, including professors at Seoul National University's Medical University, Kyung Hee University's College of Science, and Asan Medical Center, have also joined one after another." 

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Although it was founded after laying a rich research and development experience and a strong theoretical foundation, CEO Ko Sung-kyu says there were many difficulties in starting and operating a startup. In the midst of difficulties, the support of the Hongneung Gangso Research Special Zone has been a great help, and now he also says he will help other medical bio startups solve their problems.

"The Hongneung Gangso Research Special Zone's support project helped us overcome the difficulties in the early days of our start-up. We have improved the completeness by comparing and analyzing the business model we created and common technical documents to be prepared during overseas clinical trials as support projects. Consulting and consulting with LSK Global and Seoul Bio Hub were also useful.

However, recruiting talent is still difficult. This is because there are few human resources and companies in Korea that develop new drugs with natural materials. Jaein R&P is a pioneer. It's hard to recruit medical bio-research personnel, but it's even harder to recruit people who study natural materials.

Jaein R&P is a startup that has received IND for natural substance anticancer drugs, which is rare in the world. There is a case of US FDA clinical trials as a natural substance anticancer drug in China. If this clinical trial is successful, the world's medical and pharmaceutical circles will pay attention to natural substance anticancer drugs, which will be of great help to us. In that sense, the Chinese medical community can be seen as a competitor in good faith." 

CEO Ko Sung-kyu consistently emphasizes the advantages of natural substance anticancer drugs. It is said that it is a technology that reduces the pain of cancer patients, increases the effectiveness of treatment, and lowers the possibility of recurrence.

"Korean medicine is a natural therapeutic substance that has been recognized for its efficacy through numerous research and development. If you make anticancer drugs with substances that have already been used as drugs, the probability of success is high and the time for research and development can be shortened. In addition, it is less toxic and strengthens our body's immune function. Therefore, prescribing anticancer drugs made of natural substances gives strength to withstand treatment without damaging the body of cancer patients.

Above all, natural substance anticancer drugs reduce multiple resistance because they effectively prevent the formation of resistant proteins. Resistance is the main cause of failure in chemotherapy. Natural substance anticancer drugs reduce resistance, so they are not only used alone, but also used in combination with existing anticancer drugs to lead to better effects. It is also suitable for prescribing to elderly cancer patients with weak physical strength." 

Jaein R&P will attract investment in Bridge within this year and attempt phase 2 clinical trials of natural substance anticancer drugs and phase 1 clinical trials overseas. Before entering the U.S. clinical trial, it is expected to be proven by Australian and Southeast Asian medical circles and steadily grow in size based on the results.

"After completing the phase 2 clinical trial in Korea, we will introduce new anticancer drugs based on this." We are also considering entering advanced medical countries such as Japan and Taiwan. Furthermore, we will expand the possibility of using natural substance anticancer drugs alone and in combination to implement immune anticancer drugs and biomarkers cases."