Korean Oncology Researchers Shine on the Global Stage at ASCO

At the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, six oral presentations led by Korean investigators and more than 120 poster presentations were showcased. Oral presentations are reserved for only the most scientifically and clinically significant studies selected from thousands of submitted abstracts, making them one of the clearest indicators of a country's research excellence. This year's achievement demonstrates that Korea has evolved beyond being merely a participant in global clinical trials and is emerging as a leading force in developing novel therapeutic strategies and driving clinical development on the international stage.

A particularly noteworthy aspect of this year's meeting was the successful collaboration between Korean physician-scientists and domestic biotechnology companies. GI-101A developed by GI Innovation and VT-EBV-N developed by Vaxcell-Bio represent outstanding examples of innovative Korean biotech platforms combined with the clinical development expertise of academic investigators, ultimately leading to prestigious ASCO oral presentations. Collectively, these studies encompassed immuno-oncology, cell therapy, targeted therapy, rare cancers, and global Phase III clinical trials, while highlighting common themes including biomarker-driven precision medicine, translational research, and academia-industry collaboration in innovative drug development.

Not all six studies established new standards of care. Some were early-phase clinical trials, while others did not meet their primary endpoints. However, progress in oncology drug development has always depended not only on successful trials but also on studies that define the direction of future therapeutic strategies.

The ATTRACTION-6 study, presented by Professor Do-Hyun Oh of Seoul National University Hospital, was a global Phase III trial in which Korea played a pivotal role by enrolling the largest number of patients. Although the study failed to demonstrate an overall survival benefit, improvements in objective response rate and progression-free survival provided valuable insights into the limitations of dual checkpoint blockade and underscored the importance of patient selection and optimized combination strategies.

The ONO-4578 study, presented by Professor Sung Hee Lee of Samsung Medical Center, introduced a novel immunomodulatory approach targeting EP4 to remodel the tumor microenvironment. In this randomized Phase II trial, ONO-4578 significantly improved progression-free survival, supporting its potential to advance into a global Phase III study. Notably, the study incorporated prophylactic administration of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to mitigate gastrointestinal mucosal toxicity associated with EP4 inhibition. A post hoc analysis further demonstrated that the therapeutic benefit of ONO-4578 was maintained even among patients receiving PPIs, suggesting that effective safety management can be achieved without compromising clinical efficacy.

The GI-101A study, presented by Professor Jaeryun Lee of Ulsan University Hospital, reported early clinical results of a novel immunocytokine combining CD80 with an IL-2 variant. Among patients whose disease had progressed following prior PD-1 inhibitor therapy, objective response rates of approximately 40–50% were observed in renal cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma. The study also demonstrated increased activation of CD8⁺ T cells and NK cells, providing mechanistic evidence supporting its mode of action. As the maximum tolerated dose was not reached and the safety profile remained favorable, the study highlighted the potential of GI-101A as a promising strategy for overcoming immune resistance.

The HERBOT study, presented by Professor Jong-Geun Yeon of Yonsei University College of Medicine, demonstrated an objective response rate (ORR) of 55% and a disease control rate (DCR) of 95% with a combination regimen of trastuzumab, nivolumab, gemcitabine, and cisplatin as first-line treatment for HER2-positive biliary tract cancer. Importantly, the study incorporated AI-based pathological analysis to correlate HER2 expression and the tumor immune microenvironment with treatment response, representing an excellent example of precision medicine integrated with translational research.

The SPECTRUM (KCSG LY22-07) study, led by Professor Jung Sun Kim of Seoul National University Hospital, was an investigator-initiated multicenter trial conducted by the Korean Cancer Study Group (KCSG). In patients with relapsed primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), the study achieved an ORR of 71.4% and a complete response rate (CR) of 50%, while also demonstrating the feasibility of using MYD88 ctDNA as a biomarker for treatment response assessment.

The VT-EBV-N study, presented by Professor Young Woo Jeon of The Catholic University of Korea, demonstrated through a randomized clinical trial that EBV-specific T-cell therapy effectively reduced relapse after complete remission. Distinct from CAR-T therapy, this cell therapy platform achieved durable survival benefits and serves as an outstanding example of successful collaboration between Korean academia and the domestic biotechnology industry.

Collectively, these six oral presentations reflected several important trends in modern oncology, including the continued evolution of immunotherapy, biomarker-driven precision medicine, and innovative drug development through close academia-industry collaboration. More importantly, they confirmed that Korean investigators are no longer merely participants in global clinical research but have established themselves as Scientific Leaders capable of designing and leading international collaborative studies. As these promising findings advance into confirmatory global trials and ultimately translate into regulatory approvals and new standards of care, Korea is well positioned to take another significant step toward becoming a global leader in oncology drug development.

Source: TheBio (https://www.thebionews.net)