VaxCell-Bio Teams With Bio Design Lab To Advance CAR-NK Therapies For Autoimmune Diseases

Today, vaxCell-Bio, a South Korean company specialising in immunotherapy, announced a collaboration with Bio Design Lab. The partnership will develop and advance CAR-NK (chimeric antigen receptor natural killer) cell therapies to treat autoimmune diseases. This partnership is followed by an earlier agreement with Bio Design Lab, Samsung Medical Center, and other groups to explore CAR-NK treatments.

Professor Cho Deok of laboratory medicine at Samsung Medical Center, who is involved in the CAR-NK therapy development, said, “CAR-NK therapies are expected to have fewer side effects as allogeneic treatments, and if successful, they could have a significant impact on the medical field and related markets.”

Under this collaboration, VaxCell-Bio will supply its third-generation NK cells and be in charge of the development process, including research, clinical trials, and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards. Meanwhile, the Bio Design Lab will focus on designing and producing lentiviral vectors, a critical component of CAR-NK technology.

VaxCell-Bio CEO Lee Je-jung stated, " The research could shift the virus vector market, which currently relies heavily on imports, and further develop domestic CAR therapy technologies. VaxCell-Bio plans to use its third-generation feeder cells, for which it filed an international patent in 2022, to enhance CAR-NK therapy development.”

CAR-T therapies have shown promise in cancer treatment, but concerns about their side effects and high costs have sparked interest in CAR-NK therapies, which may offer a safer and more affordable solution. Lim Kwang-il, the co-founder and CTO of Bio Design Lab, highlighted that the improved lentiviral vector design behind this new CAR-NK technology minimises mutation risks, making gene delivery safer and more efficient.