Penetrium™ Breaks Oncology Barriers: The Solution to Cold Tumors and Metastatic Cancer Unveiled at AACR 2025
illi News/10299994

Trending...
~ At the 2025 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Chicago, Hyundai Bioscience presented groundbreaking results from their Penetrium™ combination preclinical studies. These studies have challenged the long-standing belief that genetic resistance is the primary cause of treatment failure in cold tumors, instead revealing that pseudo-resistance – a physical barrier caused by stiffened extracellular matrix (ECM) – is the true obstacle.

For decades, the dominant theory behind cancer treatment failure has been focused on genetic mutations. However, Hyundai Bioscience's latest findings have shown that it is actually the stiffened ECM that prevents immune cells and antibodies from reaching the tumor core. This discovery has led to the development of Penetrium™, a therapy that remodels the ECM and restores infiltration pathways, allowing for effective drug and immune cell access.

In preclinical studies using a triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) mouse model, Penetrium™ combined with anti-PD-1 therapy resulted in a 48.3% reduction in tumor burden compared to anti-PD-1 monotherapy. Additionally, complete elimination of metastasis was observed in the combination group while it remained present in the monotherapy group. Notably, necrosis was induced within just three days of Penetrium™ administration and continued to grow with repeated dosing – a trend not seen in the control group.

More on illi News
In another study using a metastatic lung cancer model, Penetrium™ combined with antibody therapy showed complete suppression of lung metastasis at a dosage of 100 mg/kg. This was significantly more effective than bevacizumab monotherapy which only showed 33% suppression. The study also revealed a decrease in MMP-9 and VEGF expression, confirming ECM normalization and restoration of drug penetration routes at a molecular level.

Furthermore, when combined with chemotherapy, Penetrium™ was able to overcome limitations seen with paclitaxel monotherapy, which paradoxically promoted lung metastasis. The combination of Penetrium™ and paclitaxel resulted in a 70-80% reduction in metastatic lesion areas compared to controls. This was accompanied by a suppression of MMP-9 and restoration of E-cadherin, demonstrating that Penetrium™ not only enhances chemotherapy efficacy but also structurally blocks metastasis without additional toxicity.

These results have also been validated in a naturally occurring canine mammary cancer model, where the combination of Penetrium™ and POLYTAXEL® showed stronger responses in metastatic tumors compared to primary tumors. This challenges the long-standing notion that metastatic cancer is untreatable.

More on illi News
Dr. Soo-Jung Kim, Head of Research at Hyundai Bioscience, stated that Penetrium™ is the world's first platform to structurally solve infiltration failure in cold tumors. She also announced that Hyundai Bioscience will soon initiate clinical trials for both TNBC and metastatic lung cancer using Penetrium™ combinations.

The safety and clinical readiness of Penetrium™ have been established through a Phase 2 COVID-19 trial using the same API, niclosamide. In addition, it has been administered at less than 9% of the NOAEL dose established in a 13-week GLP-compliant toxicity study.

Hyundai Bioscience is currently conducting a Phase 1 trial for prostate cancer in South Korea and preparing for an investigator-initiated trial for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in France. With its potential applicability to various types of cancers including pancreatic, gallbladder, ovarian cancers, and hematological malignancies such as AML, Penetrium ECM Remodeling Therapy™ is evolving into a tumor-agnostic universal cancer treatment platform.

This groundbreaking research by Hyundai Bioscience has not only provided a solution to infiltration failure in cold tumors but has also proven that metastatic cancers can be effectively treated. This marks a historic achievement in the field of oncology and brings hope for improved cancer treatments in the future.
Filed Under: Business

Show All News | Report Violation

0 Comments

Latest on illi News