Algok Bio Inc., a biopharmaceutical start-up based in Bellevue, Washington, developing next-generation therapeutics for unmet medical needs, announced a license agreement with Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) to obtain exclusive global rights of antibody technology targeting transmembrane 4 L six family member 4 (TM4SF4).

TM4SF4 has been known to be a novel cell surface marker preferentially expressed in cancer stem cells and involved in the growth and metastasis of lung cancer. To inhibit the tumor-promoting effect of TM4SF4, KAERI successfully designed a mouse monoclonal antibody and manufactured a humanized antibody, maintaining its affinity but reducing immune rejection in the human body. KAERI also confirmed that it acts as a radio-sensitizer, preventing lung cancer cells from resistant to radiation therapy.

Algok Bio and KAERI will also have a research collaboration to support Algok Bio’s future development activities for 3 years, which are planned to be conducted in the US and South Korea.