ProEn Therapeutics, a South Korean firm specializing in oncology drug development, has secured strategic investment from KOLMAR KOREA.

This investment is part of an open innovation initiative co-led by KOLMAR KOREA and the Hongneung Small Giant Special Zone Business Group. The program aims to identify promising companies by evaluating their technological capabilities, market potential, and prospects for future collaboration, thereby fostering investment.

ProEn Therapeutics stands out among companies developing antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapies, an area of growing global interest, particularly for its competitive edge in developing functional antibody components. The company’s proprietary ArtBody technology is a platform designed for creating binding proteins that are specifically targeted to cancer antigens, optimized for use in ADCs. This approach significantly mitigates the toxicity issues associated with conventional ADCs targeting normal cells/tissues, enhancing the specificity of binding to cancer cells.

In conjunction with the strategic investment, KOLMAR KOREA intends to further collaborative efforts through ongoing joint development projects between ProEn Therapeutics and its subsidiary, HK inno.N, as part of their commitment to open innovation. A collaboration has already been established to jointly develop a CAR-T therapy for solid tumors, with discussions ongoing for additional cooperative development projects.

Lee Il-han, CEO of ProEn Therapeutics, expressed optimism about the partnership, stating, “This strategic investment and the joint research agreement are expected to leverage the synergistic potential of our combined technologies, enabling us to identify competitive drug candidates and accelerate the pace of research and development.”