Vigencell&Peptron, Gain Momentum on Drug Commercialization[K-Bio Pulse]

[Kim Jiwan, Edaily Reporter] On July 15, Korean biotech companies drew strong investor attention on the back of progress in new drug development and commercialization expectations.

Vigencell hit the upper limit after news broke that its rare blood cancer treatment may soon reach the market. Peptron shares soared following marketing approval for its prostate cancer and precocious puberty drug Luphere Depot. Aptabio also gained ground as it secured government R&D funding for its diabetic kidney disease therapy, boosting investor sentiment for its commercial potential.

Vigencell hits upper limit on blood cancer therapy commercialization

Vigencell’s share price surged to the daily upper limit after its immune cell therapy for a rare blood cancer neared commercialization.



The company’s candidate VT-EBV-N targets NK/T-cell lymphoma, a rare cancer most prevalent in East Asia. Dosing has been completed for 48 patients in Phase 2, with a two-year follow-up underway. Based on the final results expected in September,

Vigencell plans to file for conditional approval with the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). VT-EBV-N was designated an orphan drug by MFDS in 2019 and by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) last year.

Peptron jumps on marketing approval for ‘Luphere Depot’

Peptron rose 22.71% to close at KRW 235,000 after announcing that Luphere Depot, its prostate cancer and precocious puberty treatment, has received MFDS marketing approval.

1-month long-acting prostate cancer and precocious puberty treatment ‘LupoOne’ (Photo = Peptron)

The product is a generic version of Takeda’s Leuprorelin (Lucrin), providing one-month sustained release with a single injection using Peptron’s proprietary sustained-release peptide platform. It is the first product from Peptron’s platform to reach commercialization and is the only domestic leuprorelin generic proven bioequivalent through clinical trials.

Peptron will manufacture Luphere Depot, while LG Chem will handle domestic marketing, targeting a KRW 80 billion market for prostate cancer and precocious puberty treatments.

Aptabio gains on national funding for diabetic kidney disease drug

Aptabio rose nearly 10% after securing funding from Korea’s National New Drug Development Project for its diabetic kidney disease (DKD) candidate Isuzinaxib (APX-115).



The drug selectively inhibits NADPH oxidase (NOX) enzymes that generate excessive reactive oxygen species, representing a novel therapeutic mechanism for DKD and acute kidney injury (AKI), where effective treatments are scarce.

Backed by this funding, Aptabio will conduct a Phase 2b study over the next two years at about 20 hospitals, enrolling 186 severe DKD patients. Aptabio successfully completed a Phase 2a trial in Europe in 2022 and presented the results as a Highlight of Clinical Investigation at the American Society of Nephrology annual meeting that year.