– Simultaneous treatment of primary and metastatic tumors by eliminating pseudo-resistance
SEOUL, South Korea, March 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Hyundai ADM Bio (KOSDAQ symbol 187660) announced on the 24th that its first-in-class pseudo-resistance-targeting agent, PenetriumTM, showed significant anti-metastatic efficacy in a preclinical study on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Detailed results will be presented at the 2025 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Chicago, starting April 25.
In the study conducted by the specialized preclinical CRO NodCure using 7-week-old female C57BL/6 mice, paclitaxel monotherapy achieved only a 4.55% tumor reduction compared to untreated controls, while metastasis increased by 115.13% (P<0.0001). In contrast, combination therapy with paclitaxel and Penetrium reduced tumor size by up to 36.22% (P<0.0001) and metastasis by 85.78% (P<0.001).
Repeated chemotherapy treatments typically lead to stiffening of the extracellular matrix (ECM), reducing drug effectiveness over time. Penetrium addresses this critical challenge by softening the therapy-hardened ECM barrier, effectively restoring access for both anticancer drugs and immune cells. This innovative approach resolves pseudo-resistance, simultaneously controls primary and metastatic tumors, and prevents metastasis by blocking the formation of pre-metastatic niches.
Pre-metastatic niches are microenvironments in distant organs, preconditioned through ECM remodeling, angiogenesis, increased vascular permeability, and immune suppression, facilitating future metastatic growth. Penetrium inhibits this niche formation, preventing metastatic cells from successfully colonizing new sites.
This TNBC study represents the first experimental evidence that Penetrium effectively surpasses conventional therapeutic limitations, simultaneously managing primary tumors and metastatic lesions previously considered untreatable.
A separate 2024 preclinical study on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) demonstrated a 0% metastasis rate when Penetrium was combined with bevacizumab. Immunohistochemistry analysis confirmed the suppression of metastasis-promoting molecules MMP-9 and VEGF exclusively in the combination group, validating Penetrium’s mechanism of anti-metastatic action.
Triple-negative breast cancer remains one of the most aggressive metastatic cancers worldwide. Existing therapies, including antibody-drug conjugates and targeted therapies such as bevacizumab, face limitations such as minimal survival extension and ECM-induced drug delivery failures.
Penetrium’s unique strategy overcomes these barriers by targeting the tumor microenvironment itself rather than cancer cells directly, restoring critical drug delivery pathways and enhancing immune response.
Soo-Jung Kim, Head of Drug Development at Hyundai ADM, stated:
“Penetrium introduces an innovative anticancer strategy, neutralizing ECM barriers that block effective drug and immune cell access to tumors. This preclinical outcome could be the world’s first practical demonstration reversing the belief that metastatic cancer is untreatable.”
Hyundai ADM is expanding Penetrium-based clinical strategies for breast and lung cancers, while Hyundai Bioscience focuses on pancreatic, prostate, and bile duct cancers. Both companies will actively pursue global licensing and co-development partnerships following AACR 2025.
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SOURCE Hyundai ADM Bio
