AbClon announced on the 6th that its AM109 project has been selected for the third round of the 2023 National New Drug Development Program, led by the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF). AM109 is a T cell engager therapy specifically targeting refractory prostate cancer by targeting the PSMA and 4-1bb on tumor cells and T cells respectively, utilizing the company's proprietary AffiMab platform technology.

Refractory (castration-resistant) prostate cancer is the most severe stage of prostate cancer, where the tumor has metastasized beyond the prostate to other parts of the body. According to the National Cancer Information Center, the average survival time for patients with this condition is only 2-3 years, and current treatment options remain limited in both availability and efficacy. The results of an international clinical trial reported in August showed that the combination of the immune checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and chemotherapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer did not show significant improvement as expected

AbClon utilizes its unique AffiMab bispecific antibody platform, which leverages affibody that are 1/25 the size of conventional antibodies to recruit T cells. This affibody is then linked to an antibody that specifically targets prostate cancer cells, maximizing the anti-cancer effect. AbClon is also developing AM105, an innovative bispecific antibody therapy for colorectal cancer, using the same platform technology.

A company representative stated, "With the support of the Korea Drug Development Fund, we will be able to accelerate research on this new pipeline," adding, "We are committed to developing bispecific antibody therapies that can significantly enhance treatment efficacy and survival rates for prostate cancer patients."