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.”