Zymedi Co. Ltd.

Human protein-based immune-enhancing technology applied… Research findings published in international journal CMI Zymedi and a joint research team from Yonsei University have developed WKC-VAX, a pancreatic cancer therapeutic vaccine candidate designed to simultaneously target cancer cells and the surrounding tumor environment that protects them. The research findings were published in the international journal Cellular & Molecular Immunology (CMI; Journal Impact Factor [JIF] = 23.9). Pancreatic cancer is considered one of the most difficult cancers to treat because a dense fibrotic tissue forms around the tumor while, at the same time, a specialized microenvironment suppresses immune cell activity. This tumor microenvironment acts as a kind of “protective barrier,” preventing immune cells from effectively reaching and attacking cancer cells. As a result, even when an immune response capable of recognizing cancer cells is induced, achieving sufficient therapeutic efficacy has remained challenging. The research team hypothesized that improving the therapeutic efficacy of cancer vaccines against difficult-to-treat solid tumors would require the integrated action of three components: an immune enhancer capable of effectively stimulating immune responses, a tumor-specific antigen that enables selective targeting of cancer cells, and a secondary antigen capable of modifying the tumor microenvironment. To test this concept, the researchers selected pancreatic cancer, a representative refractory cancer, as their model and designed a multi-pronged strategy aimed at enhancing the vaccine’s tumor-specific activity while simultaneously altering the tumor-supportive surrounding environment. First, the team independently developed C-VAX to enhance the immune-stimulating activity of the vaccine. Unlike conventional immune enhancers, C-VAX utilizes human-derived proteins and was developed with the aim of fundamentally addressing the local and systemic toxicity issues associated with existing adjuvants. The researchers then selected KRAS G12D, a major driver mutation associated with pancreatic cancer, as the tumor-specific antigen, enabling the vaccine to recognize cancer cells more selectively. In addition, genomic analysis was used to identify genes associated with resistance to vaccine therapy, and specific antigens targeting these genes were developed. By integrating these three major functional components into a single platform, the research team developed the multi-antigen fusion vaccine WKC-VAX. In a mouse model of pancreatic cancer, WKC-VAX significantly reduced tumor weight compared with a single-antigen vaccine. Within the tumors, both the infiltration and activity of cancer-fighting T cells increased, while immunosuppressive cells and fibrotic stroma decreased. Notably, when WKC-VAX was administered in combination with a PD-1-blocking antibody, a type of immune checkpoint inhibitor, the combination reduced tumor size and prolonged survival compared with either treatment alone. Kim Sung-Hoon, CEO of Zymedi, said, “Recent encouraging clinical outcomes from personalized cancer vaccines have raised expectations for a new era of cancer vaccines. This study is meaningful because it suggests a potential direction for how cancer vaccines should evolve to treat difficult-to-treat solid tumors.” He added, “Zymedi is currently developing next-generation cancer vaccines using our proprietary high-efficiency circular RNA platform technology, which enables a larger number of tumor antigens and immune enhancers to be incorporated rapidly and efficiently.” 인체 단백질 기반 면역증강 기술 적용…연구 결과 국제학술지 CMI 게재 [약사공론 감성균 기자] 자이메디와 연세대학교 공동 연구팀이 암세포와 암을 보호하는 주변 환경을 동시에 겨냥하는 췌장암 치료백신 후보물질 ‘WKC-VAX’를 개발했다고 밝혔다. 이번 연구 결과는 국제학술지 ‘셀룰러 앤드 몰레큘러 이뮤놀로지(Cellular & Molecular Immunology, 이하 CMI, Journal Impact Factor(JIF)=23.9)’에 게재됐다. 췌장암은 암 주변에 치밀한 섬유성 조직이 형성되는 동시에 면역세포의 활동을 억제하는 특수한 미세환경이 만들어져 치료가 어려운 암으로 알려져 있다. 이러한 종양 주변 환경은 일종의 ‘방어막’처럼 작용해 면역세포가 암세포에 접근하고 공격하는 것을 방해한다. 때문에 암세포를 인식하는 면역반응을 유도하더라도 충분한 치료 효과를 얻기 어렵다는 한계가 있었다. 연구팀은 이 같은 난치성 고형암에서 백신의 치료 효과를 높이기 위해서는 면역반응을 효과적으로 유도하는 면역증강제와 암세포를 선택적으로 공격할 수 있는 암특이적 항원, 그리고 고형암의 미세환경을 개선할 수 있는 2차 항원이 통합적으로 작용해야 한다고 판단했다. 이를 확인하기 위해 대표적인 난치성 암인 췌장암을 모델로 삼아 암세포에 대한 백신의 특이적 공격력을 높이는 동시에 암을 보호하는 주변 환경까지 변화시키는 다중 전략을 설계했다. 먼저 백신의 면역증강력을 높이기 위해 ‘C-VAX’를 자체 개발했다. C-VAX는 기존 면역증강제와 달리 인체 유래 단백질을 활용해 기존 증강제가 갖고 있는 국소 및 전신적 독성 문제를 근본적으로 해결하고자 개발됐다. 이어 췌장암을 유발하는 주요 변이체인 ‘KRAS G12D’를 암특이 항원으로 선택해 백신이 암세포를 보다 선택적으로 인식할 수 있도록 했다. 또한 유전체 분석을 통해 백신 치료에 대한 저항성과 관련된 유전자들을 탐색하고 이에 대한 특이 항원을 개발했다. 연구팀은 이처럼 각각 개발한 세 가지 주요 기능 요소가 동시에 작용할 수 있도록 설계해 다중항원 융합백신 ‘WKC-VAX’를 완성했다. WKC-VAX는 췌장암 마우스모델에서 단일항원 백신보다 종양 무게를 유의미하게 감소시켰다. 종양 내에서는 암세포를 공격하는 T세포의 침투와 기능이 증가했으며, 면역억제 세포와 섬유성 기질은 감소하는 것으로 나타났다. 특히 면역항암제의 일종인 PD-1 차단 항체와 병용했을 때에는 각각을 단독 투여했을 때보다 종양 크기가 감소하고 생존기간이 연장됐다. 자이메디 김성훈 대표는 “최근 맞춤형 암백신이 좋은 임상 결과를 보이면서 암백신 시대에 대한 기대가 높아지고 있다”며 “이번 연구는 난치성 고형암 치료에서 암백신이 나아가야 할 방향을 제시한다는 데 의미가 있다”고 말했다. 이어 “자이메디는 현재 자체 개발한 고효율 원형 RNA 플랫폼 기술을 활용해 보다 많은 암항원과 면역증강제를 빠르고 효율적으로 탑재할 수 있는 암백신을 개발하고 있다”고 밝혔다. https://www.kpanews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=547639 https://www.yakup.com/news/index.html?mode=view&pmode=&cat=&cat2=&nid=334514&num_start=0&csearch_word=%EC%9E%90%EC%9D%B4%EB%A9%94%EB%94%94&csearch_type=&cs_scope= https://www.medisobizanews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=143761

INCHEON, South Korea, Dec. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Zymedi (CEO Sunghoon Kim) announced that the World Health Organization (WHO) has assigned rapaprutug as the International Nonproprietary Name (INN) for the company's first-in-class antibody therapy ZMA001, being developed as a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The assignment of the name rapaprutug (development code: ZMA001) marks a key global milestone and establishes a unified scientific identity for Zymedi's lead candidate as it advances through development. The antibody is currently being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in the United States. "We are very pleased that the WHO has designated the nonproprietary name rapaprutug for our lead PAH program," said Sunghoon Kim, CEO and Founder of Zymedi and professor at Yonsei University. "This milestone underscores our team's long-term efforts to discover and develop innovative biologic therapies that address the root causes of macrophage-driven inflammatory and fibrotic diseases such as pulmonary arterial hypertension and asthma. We remain committed to bringing meaningful treatments to patients worldwide." The WHO INN system assigns unique, globally recognized names for pharmaceutical substances to ensure clear international communication among scientists, regulators, and clinicians. The publication of rapaprutug in INN Recommended List 94 officially establishes the compound's global nonproprietary identity. About rapaprutug (ZMA001) Rapaprutug (ZMA001) is a first-in-class human monoclonal antibody that exerts its therapeutic efficacy by inhibiting the infiltration of inflammation-inducing macrophages into the damaged tissues. In 2023, Zymedi entered into a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance the development of ZMA001, primarily to treat PAH. As part of this collaboration, the NIH Clinical Center initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers in January 2024. In July of the same year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted ZMA001 Orphan Drug Designation (ODD). About Zymedi Zymedi is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to transforming the therapeutic landscape by redefining the biological roles of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) and leveraging them as therapeutic targets and agents for the discovery and development of innovative treatments for patients with serious and life-threatening conditions that lack effective therapies or standard-of-care options. For more information, please visit SOURCE Zymedi 21% more press release views with Request a Demo

Yonsei University, Zymedi and Evotec receive US$ 4.5m grant from the Korea Institute of Advanced Technology under the Korean Ministry for Trade, Industry and Energy Funding supports a novel collaboration to develop first-in-class therapeutic antibodies to treat asthma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Source : https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/detail?dockey=600-202501220130DGAP____CORPNEWS_corporate_2071953_en-1 Source : https://www.nebenwerte-magazin.com/evotec-erhaelt-foerderung-fuer-bahnbrechende-forschung/ Source : https://www.contractpharma.com/breaking-news/evotec-yonsei-zymedi-land-4-5m-kiat-grant-for-lung-disease-therapies/ Source : https://de.finance.yahoo.com/nachrichten/aktie-fokus-evotec-vorb%C3%B6rslich-beliebt-074219216.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMp2KjNLqWS4OXCsM8uSzWCGz9PEKgpKfXA5Ho0JB_usbX4JYiy1eA1UHYcXrOel2fKdTIGYXlUyWAgLGYuygTqRwdZuflOh5yt3y64ZA98sCh9mRDRAp3v954Na0a3WfIYSfgH8dLnIZwXvDff3fWuDtkMa7qnxon1Tk-aL74mn Source : https://www.wallstreet-online.de/nachricht/18917301-evotec-koreanische-foerdermittel-innovative-lungenbehandlungen ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————- Source : https://www.evotec.com/ir-news/news?category=null&year=2025