In a significant move towards advancing cancer treatment, Syntekabio, a leading AI drug development company, has announced its collaboration with PDC Line Pharma (PDC), a Chinese immunotherapy vaccine development company from Belgium. The partnership aims to develop a targeted cancer vaccine for customized treatment.

PDC Line Pharma specializes in the development of immuno-anti-cancer vaccines, leveraging its unique vaccine platform technology based on the plasmacytoid dendritic cell line (PDC line). Notably, the company is the first in Europe to proceed with a KOSDAQ listing process through its exceptional treatment technology. As part of its neo PDC pipeline development, PDC is currently conducting phase 1 and 2 clinical trials for patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

The joint research agreement between Syntekabio and PDC will combine PDC’s ‘PDC*’ anti-cancer immune vaccine platform technology with Syntekabio’s ‘NEO-ARS’ neoantigen prediction technology. This promising collaboration aims to develop a case study for a patient-specific cancer vaccine within the year, with a focus on a blood cancer origin (leukemia) using an HLA-A2+ cell line. The successful incorporation of NEO-ARS® technology into the PDC vaccine platform will lay the foundation for the development of a neo PDC pipeline.

With a specific focus on melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer, PDC’s existing off-the-shelf treatments involve the use of antigen-loaded presenting cells containing well-known common tumor antigen peptides. Following this agreement, PDC’s innovative dendritic cell vaccine technology will be applied to Syntekabio’s discovery of patient-specific neoantigen peptides that target cancer-specific antigens (TSAs). This promising collaboration is expected to pave the way for the joint research and development of an effective anti-cancer vaccine.

CEO of PDC Line Pharma, Eric Alliwer, expressed his satisfaction with the collaboration, stating, “Syntekabio’s NEO-ARS neoantigen prediction technology perfectly complements our PDC line platform technology. We are excited to collaborate with Syntekabio in the development of a personalized neoantigen-based anticancer vaccine.” Syntekabio CEO Jeong Jong-seon also expressed enthusiasm, emphasizing the significance of PDC’s proven safety and clinical efficacy in their anti-cancer vaccine platform. He added that the incorporation of NEO-ARS into joint research with PDC will not only contribute to establishing a development strategy for treatment candidates but will also expand the utility of NEO-ARS.