Penetrium Bio will host a global symposium next month to unveil its U.S. Phase 2 clinical development strategy for Penetrium, its next-generation oncology drug candidate. The company aims to accelerate its expansion into the global combination cancer therapy market through a novel approach that normalizes the tumor microenvironment (TME).
The company said Monday it will hold the Penetrium Global Symposium 2026 on Sept. 14 at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas. Timed to coincide with the World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC 2026), the event will present the company’s global Phase 2 combination trial strategy and key research findings.
At the symposium, Penetrium Bio will outline its clinical program designed to address the challenges of sub-lethal dosing and pseudo-resistance, two factors widely recognized as limitations of current cancer therapies. Rather than directly attacking cancer cells, Penetrium is being developed to restore the tumor microenvironment, enhancing the effectiveness of existing anticancer treatments.
Targeting both cancer cells and the surrounding tumor microenvironment has emerged as a promising new strategy in oncology drug development.
The company said studies using pancreatic cancer organoids co-cultured with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) showed reduced expression of genes involved in mitochondrial energy production, as well as HAS3, a hyaluronic acid synthase, and TGM2, a transglutaminase associated with extracellular matrix cross-linking.
Leading international lung cancer experts will also participate in the event.
Professor Sandip Patel of the University of California San Diego will first present related research in a poster session at WCLC before outlining the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Phase 2 development strategy as the global chief investigator during the symposium.
Professor Marina Garassino of the University of Chicago will join a panel discussion on the clinical significance of combination therapies and their potential to reshape the standard of care. Garassino is widely known as the global principal investigator of the KEYNOTE-189 Phase 3 trial, which established pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy as a standard treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Choi Jin-ho, distinguished professor at the company, said Penetrium represents a new therapeutic approach by targeting the pathological environment that protects cancer cells rather than the cancer cells themselves.
“We expect this clinical trial to mark an important turning point in improving treatment outcomes for patients,” Choi said.
Co-CEO Jin Geun-woo said the symposium will provide a platform to discuss global clinical strategies aimed at overcoming the limitations of current therapies for hard-to-treat cancers.
“We will validate our hypothesis through the U.S. Phase 2 trial and expand international collaborative research,” Jin said.
