Penitrium Bioscience has unveiled promising results for a novel drug candidate that could revitalize the efficacy of existing cancer treatments by modifying the tumor microenvironment.
The company announced Tuesday that Dr. Sandip Patel, a professor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, will present findings on the tumor microenvironment (TME) effects of their drug candidate, Penitrium, at the upcoming World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC 2026). The conference is scheduled for September 12-15 at COEX in Seoul.
The tumor microenvironment comprises blood vessels, immune cells, and fibroblasts surrounding cancer cells. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are known to play a crucial role in cancer progression and treatment resistance.
CAFs have recently emerged as a key factor influencing chemotherapy efficacy and resistance. The U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) is also investigating ways to overcome treatment resistance in lung cancer by targeting the tumor microenvironment.
The study revealed that administering Penitrium alongside existing cancer drugs restored their effectiveness, even when CAFs had previously diminished their impact.
In experiments using lung cancer patient-derived organoids cultured with CAFs, researchers observed a decrease in the effectiveness of gefitinib, a targeted lung cancer drug. However, the addition of Penitrium significantly boosted the drug’s anti-cancer effects.
Similar outcomes were observed in pancreatic cancer models. Patient-derived organoids cultured with CAFs showed increased resistance to gemcitabine, but the addition of Penitrium restored the drug’s efficacy.
The company emphasized that this research demonstrates a novel therapeutic approach, distinct from directly targeting cancer cell resistance. It highlights the potential for chemotherapy resensitization by altering the tumor microenvironment to reinvigorate existing cancer treatments.
It’s important to note that these findings are based on preclinical studies and have not yet been validated in human clinical trials. Further research is needed to confirm whether similar effects occur in cancer patients.
Dr. Patel led the study, with contributions from Professor Choi Jin-ho and Jin Geun-woo, Penitrium Bioscience’s research director, as co-authors.
Dr. Patel, a professor of medical oncology at UC San Diego’s Moores Cancer Center, specializes in solid tumors, immunotherapy, and early-phase clinical trials. He previously co-chaired WCLC 2024 and currently leads Penitrium’s global clinical program for cancer treatments.
The WCLC, organized by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), is a premier global lung cancer conference. This year’s event in Seoul is expected to draw over 7,000 attendees and feature more than 130 sessions and workshops, along with over 2,300 research abstracts.
Jo Won-dong, chairman of Penitrium Bioscience, stated that the study demonstrates that modulating the tumor microenvironment can potentially restore cancer cells’ sensitivity to existing treatments. It’s now planning global clinical trials to validate these findings in actual cancer patients.
