H&O Biosis

  On February 10, H&O Biosis (CEO Park Jong-Min and Hyun Ki-Woong, hereinafter referred to as H&O) announced that an integrated natural anticancer medicine under development was confirmed to have the apoptotic and antiproliferative effects on hepatocellular carcinoma cells in animal testing following in vivo and the results had been published in the scientific journal Cancers.   - Heraldcorp.com -   Established in 2019, H&O announced in 2020 that the results of in-vitro cell experiments show the effect of apoptosis and the inhibitory effect of proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma cells on four types of liver cancer cell lines. Following this, in 2021, in-vitro results were shown to block metastasis of hepatoma cells and inhibit angiogenesis through additional experiments.  In an animal experiment based on these experiments, not only did the growth of cancer cells of hepatoma cell line (Huh-7) decrease by about 50%, but also no peculiarities for toxicity were found in the blood test. The result was published in the scientific journal Cancers. This is meaningful in that it has statistically significant efficacy considering the absence of effective anticancer drugs for hepatocellular carcinoma. Particularly, it is more meaningful because it is a natural complex medicine with the expectation of having fewer adverse effects.  As of 2021, the rate of liver cancer cases is increasing by more than 10% compared to the past 5 years, while it has the second highest death toll after lung cancer. Moreover, it is infamously difficult to detect at an early stage while having a high mortality rate within 5 years of a relapse. Until now, treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma have mainly relied on physical treatments such as transarterial chemoembolization, radiofrequency therapy, and liver transplantation. While Bayer’s Sorafenib (product name, Nexavar) has been developed and typically used, it is known that only about 10% of liver cancer patients in Asia where liver cancer frequently occurs show effective recovery. Furthermore, the administration is limited due to severe adverse effects such as skin reactions in hands and feet, vomiting, and diarrhea caused by its toxicity. Therefore, there are few treatments providing a cure, and for this reason, many companies are challenging the development of antitumor drugs for liver cancer.  Dr. Park Jong-Min, the head developer of integrated natural anticancer medicine, said, “After confirming the apoptosis of hepatoma cells and the inhibition of its proliferation and metastasis, we also confirmed a 50% reduction in the animal experiment as well. The article is listed in the scientific journal Cancers, which is encouraging because the integrated natural anticancer medicine has been recognized worldwide for having the potential to be developed as an anticancer drug for hepatocellular carcinoma.” “Considering the characteristics of integrated natural anticancer medicine which has minimal toxicity and adverse effects, it is necessary to further enhance the feasibility of conducting clinical trials.  At the same time, we expect to give patients who suffer from painful physical therapy and those with severe side effects an opportunity for a painless treatment process.”  So far, the company has already applied for and registered a patent based on the research results.  As society enters the aging stage in recent times, the number of cancer patients is on the rise. According to a survey of GII Research, the global market for liver cancer treatment is expected to grow to 7 trillion won by 2026. CEO Park said, “We are preparing for phase 1 clinical trial approval in 2024. We expect that this will abolish the contemporary assumption of natural complex medicine as an adjuvant anticancer treatment.”    Heraldcorp.com / Feburary 17, 2023   

- Health.chosun.com -An integrated natural anticancer medicine that kills hepatocellular carcinoma cells was developed. This anticancer medicine by H&O Biosis showed the effects of apoptosis and anti-proliferative activities on liver cancer cells in both in-vivo and animal testing. This new antitumor medicine reduced the growth of the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (Huh-7) by 50% in animal experiments. According to the blood test, the toxicity of the medicine was low, thus adverse effects are expected to be low level.Up until now treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma have mainly relied on physical treatments such as transarterial chemoembolization, radiofrequency therapy, and liver transplantation.  In addition to having insignificant effectiveness, most liver cancer drugs have severe side effects such as skin reactions, vomiting, and diarrhea caused by its toxicity.  This makes their administration limited. On the other hand, the integrated natural anticancer medicine is expected to alleviate the pain of liver cancer patients by minimizing toxicity and adverse effects.Dr. Park Jong-Min of H&O Biosis said, “We are preparing for approval for phase 1 clinical trial in 2024, and we will open the way for the least painful treatment possible for hepatocellular carcinoma patients by proving its efficacy as a first-line anticancer drug (or integrated natural anticancer medicine)."Meanwhile, the result of this experiment is recently published in the international journal ‘Cancers’.Health.chosun.com / Feburary 17, 2023

  H&O Biosis announced on the 30th of last month that a new drug substance under development was observed to have the effect of preventing the metastasis of liver cancer cells and inhibiting new blood vessels, which is a pathway for cancer cell proliferation. - Yakup.com -    H&O BIOSIS (CEO Hyun Ki-Woong and Park Jong-Min) announced on the 30th of last month that a new drug substance under development was observed to have the effect of preventing the metastasis of liver cancer cells and inhibiting new blood vessels, which is a pathway for cancer cell proliferation.H&O BIOSIS announced the results of a study last year that it had apoptosis and proliferation inhibitory effects on liver cancer cell lines and through additional tests afterwards, it had obtained these results.According to the company, the candidate substance under development in this in-vitro experiment was confirmed to have metastasis inhibition and angiogenesis inhibitory effects on two liver cancer cell lines: Huh-7, a representative liver cancer cell line, and SNU-475, a resistant liver cancer cell line.In addition, if this new drug passes the clinical trial, it will be the first treatment that has all the necessary functions for liver cancer treatment. As it is an oriental medicine material that does not have toxicity or drug resistance unlike existing treatments, it is expected that patients who were dependent on physical treatments such as liver transplantation will have an opportunity to experience a painless treatment process, the company explained.Based on the in-vitro test conducted this time, H&O BIOSIS plans to confirm the efficacy in a non-clinical animal test and afterwards proceed to conduct a clinical trial with the goal of having phase 2 IND by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved. H&O BIOSIS has also applied for a patent for the material.Park Jong-Min, CEO, who is responsible for the development of the natural complex anticancer drug, said, “Cell death and proliferation inhibition along with confirming metastasis and angiogenesis inhibition in this evaluation is an encouraging result” and “Considering the characteristics of low toxicity and side effects in the combined natural products, the validity and success potential of subsequent animal testing results will increase”.CEO Park expressed his ambitions, saying “We will establish ourselves as forerunners in the development of next-generation anticancer drugs that go beyond the immuno-oncology drugs currently used for liver cancer treatment, and grow into the No. 1 company with a high success rate among the current liver cancer treatment market which has a low treatment rate”. Yayup.com / December 2, 2021   

 On June 20th, H&O Biosis revealed that an oriental medicinal compound for liver therapeutic treatment confirmed to have meaningful results that raises the possibility of its development. - Dong-A ILBO -    H&O Biosis (CEO Hyun Ki-Woong and Park Jong-Min) stated in their research findings on June 20th that, “from the field of nonexistent liver therapeutics, an oriental medicinal compound for a therapeutic drug confirmed to have meaningful results that raised the possibility of its development”.This In-Vitro experiment confirmed that the candidate substance under development had two verified effects: it terminated liver cancer cells and suppressed its proliferating traits on 4 different liver cancer cells. Even among 2 of the resistant liver cancer cell strains of which there is no known treatment, by inhibiting the PLK1 protein expression related to cell proliferation, its proliferation suppressing effect was discovered. In-Vitro was in the early stages of research, and if the effect is confirmed at this stage, clinical trials will be conducted through animal experiments.According to a study in 2017, the number of casualties by liver cancer was second to lung cancer. Early detection was difficult and drug resistance was high; if relapse occurred, the illness would have one of the highest mortality rates within 5 years. Currently, liver cancer relies on physical treatments such as liver transplantation. Because there are few treatments available, many corporations have stepped up to develop chemotherapy drugs, but liver cancer drugs have not reached statistical credibility compared to most drugs that increase a patient’s overall or progression-free lifespan.The global pharmaceutical company Bayer’s Sorafenib (product name Nexavar) used large-scale clinical trials to prolong the overall life span of liver cancer patients by 44% and progression-free life span by 72%, but toxin-based skin reactions from hands and feet, vomiting, diarrhea, and hypertension were the side effects from the synthesized/processed drugs, so its administered dosage was limited. Particularly in Asia, only 10% of the results were seen. In the case of Sorafenib’s experimental failure, the 2nd treatment from two combined BMS pharmaceuticals Nivolumab (trade name Opdivo) and Ipilimumab (trade name Yervoy) increased the overall survival time, but also failed to obtain statistical credibility. Lately, clinical cases seeking approval for synthesizing/processing immunizing chemotherapy drugs are on the rise, but the effectiveness of synthetic/processed liver chemotherapy drugs fell below expectations.The leader developing the new herbal therapeutic drugs, Park Jong-min said, “In contrast to other synthesized/processed chemotherapy drugs, the oriental herbal compound’s effect was confirmed simultaneously in several cell strains which appear differently in Asia, Europe, and the Americas, securing the feasibility of a follow-up development.Using natural herbal therapeutic medicines with low toxicity and side effects to treat cancer and help boost immune systems, and to confirm the possibility of its universal treatment, H&O Biosis will proceed with our non-clinical studies. However, this medicine is in a very early stage of development; considering animal testing and clinical trials, there is still a long way to go.H&O Biosis will henceforth confirm the results through animal experiments, then plan to proceed with the goal of receiving the approval for phase 2 of the clinical trial with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. For this process, to confirm the efficacy of the immunizing chemotherapy agent, conducting immunity-related experiments simultaneously was planned.Dong-A ILBO / JUNE 24, 2020