Hanmi Pharmaceutical, Yuhan, Samsung Bioepis and Celltrion, among South Korea’s major drug and biotech companies, are heading to San Diego ahead of the American Association for Cancer Research’s AACR 2026 meeting. The companies plan to present early-stage findings on next-generation cancer drug candidates, highlight emerging trends and seek future technology-licensing opportunities.
Industry officials said on April 17 that AACR, which runs through April 22 (local time), is considered one of the world’s three major cancer meetings, along with the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the European Society for Medical Oncology. AACR is known as a venue where preclinical and early clinical results are concentrated, and is widely viewed as a stage for gauging potential blockbuster candidates and licensing prospects.
This year’s meeting is expected to spotlight next-generation modalities including antibody-drug conjugates, CAR-T therapies, radiopharmaceuticals and RNA-based treatments.
Hanmi Pharmaceutical will present nine preclinical studies, the most among Korean companies. Its lineup spans targeted therapies and newer approaches, including an EZH1/2 dual inhibitor combined with a DNA damage inducer, a p53 mRNA cancer therapy, a 4-1BB x PD-L1 bispecific antibody and a B7H3 x PD-L1 bispecific ADC. The market expects Hanmi to extend its record of leading Korean firms in the number of presentations for four consecutive years, underscoring its research and development strength.
Yuhan will also take the AACR stage, presenting research aimed at broadening the intersection of targeted cancer therapy and immuno-oncology. The move is seen as part of an effort to expand global partnerships, as AACR can serve as a starting point for licensing talks and co-development discussions.
Samsung Bioepis will present preclinical data on SBE303, an ADC candidate and the company’s first new-drug pipeline, positioning it as an independent drug developer on the global stage. The company recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for an investigational new drug application for a Phase 1 clinical trial of a nectin-4-targeting ADC.
Celltrion Pharm will introduce two new candidates using its dual-payload ADC platform, AD2C. The design aims to reduce dose-limiting toxicity while improving efficacy, as the company seeks differentiation in the next-generation oncology market.
Biotechs scheduled for oral presentations are also drawing attention. Verismo Therapeutics, a subsidiary of the HLB Group, will present interim Phase 1 results for SynKIR-110, a CAR-T candidate for solid tumors. It will also disclose preclinical results for SynKIR-310, a CAR-T candidate for blood cancers, which was reported to have recorded a 100% survival rate, the only one to do so among comparator groups.
Rznomics will give an oral presentation of interim clinical results for RZ-001, a gene therapy for liver cancer. The approach targets telomerase mRNA to induce both cancer cell death and immune cell infiltration, and is expected to draw interest because it will be the first disclosure of proof-of-concept data for the company’s RNA editing and replacement technology.
A representative of a Korean pharmaceutical company said the meeting is a chance to show how competitive Korea’s oncology platforms are on the international stage. “Preclinical and early clinical stages carry high risk, but if successful, they can lead to technology exports and a reassessment of corporate value,” the person said.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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