SNB-101 Earns Government Backing as Promising Therapy for Small Cell Lung Cancer
SEONGNAM, South Korea, July 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a strong endorsement of its cutting-edge drug delivery technology, SN BioScience announced that its anticancer candidate SNB-101 has been selected as a clinical-stage project under the 2025 Korea Drug Development Project, a government-initiated program led by the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF). The program includes two years of research support, aiding the company's advancement of SNB-101 into global Phase 1b/2 trials.
The Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF) is a government agency funded by three ministries. It aims to actively fund and provide necessary support for drug development in academia and the pharmaceutical industry.
As Korea's most authoritative national drug development platform, the KDDF is dedicated to advancing innovative drug development projects, spanning the entire process from early discovery to clinical stages.
SNB-101 is a polymeric nanoparticle-based nanoformulation of SN-38, the potent active metabolite of irinotecan, a topoisomerase I inhibitor in the Camptothecin class. Utilizing its proprietary dual nanomicelle platform, the drug is designed to maximize tumor-specific targeting by leveraging the Enhanced Permeability and Retention (EPR) effect, thereby enhancing therapeutic efficacy while minimizing toxicity to healthy tissues.
SNB-101 has already garnered international recognition through multiple regulatory designations as a next-generation anticancer therapy. The U.S. FDA has granted SNB-101 Orphan Drug Designation for both small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and pancreatic cancer, and has also granted Fast Track Designation for SCLC — a regulatory green light to accelerate its development timeline.
SN BioScience is set to launch a multinational Phase 1b/2 clinical trial for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), spanning key sites across South Korea, the United States, and Europe. The study will focus on dose optimization, safety, and efficacy, with particular emphasis on enrolling a racially and ethnically diverse patient population to support early commercialization efforts.
Given the aggressive nature and poor prognosis of this rare cancer, SNB-101 is gaining attention as a potential second- or third-line treatment for patients who have failed existing therapies. Furthermore, the company is exploring combination strategies with immunotherapies to position SNB-101 as a potential first- or second-line standard of care in the future.
"SNB-101 represents our commitment to overcoming the limitations of conventional cancer therapies," said Young-Hwan Park, CEO of SN BioScience. "This national grant will accelerate our global clinical development and solidify SNB-101's position as a next-generation anticancer therapy."