[이코노믹리뷰=곽예지 기자] Hanmi Pharmaceutical (128940) announced on the 22nd that the EZH1/2 dual inhibitor (HM97662), which is being developed as a new target anticancer innovative drug for refractory malignant blood cancer and solid cancer, has been selected as a national drug development project by the National New Drug Development Foundation.
This is the second selection after LAPSGlucagon Analog (HM15136) of Hanmi Pharm, which is being developed as an innovative new drug for the treatment of congenital hyperinsulinemia, was selected for a 28-month research fund in November. The national new drug development project is a cross-ministerial national research and development (R&D) project that supports the entire stage of new drug development based on the open innovation strategy of pharmaceutical companies and academia, research and development.
Hanmi Pharm plans to quickly complete the ongoing preclinical development and accelerate the clinical stage entry thanks to the national research funding support for HM97662.
The epigenetic gene EZH2 is an oncogene that is mutated or overexpressed in a number of relapsed or refractory carcinomas that currently have no treatment or are difficult to treat with existing chemotherapy. However, when selectively inhibiting EZH2, EZH1 is complementarily activated to induce resistance, so an inhibitor that simultaneously inhibits EZH2 and EZH1 is required. It is explained that HM97662 demonstrated a strong anticancer effect through EZH1/2 double inhibition, which has excellent inhibitory ability on EZH1 as well as EZH2 inhibition through preclinical studies.
Se-chang Kwon, president of Hanmi Pharm, said, “Hanmi’s new drug development for the treatment of refractory and tolerant patients who are not effective with existing drugs will be able to enter clinical trials faster with this research funding support.” “Based on the innovative results of previous research, We will do our best to commercialize innovative new drugs with new mechanisms in various cancers for which there is no treatment.”
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