Neogen TC

About Neogen TC

Neogen TC, a South Korean biotechnology firm established in 2020, is focused on developing personalized cell therapies for cancer treatment. The company, officially known as NeogenTC Corp., was founded by CEO Hee-jin Lee, MD, Ph.D. His vision for the company originated from observing immune cells surrounding tumors under a microscope, sparking the idea to harness these cells for therapeutic purposes. The company is dedicated to creating adoptive T-cell therapies for cancer patients.

The firm's initial therapeutic target is triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a type of cancer that currently has limited treatment options, especially when resistant to chemotherapy. Neogen TC's primary product in development is a tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cell therapy, which has shown experimental promise as a new treatment avenue for TNBC. This therapy involves harvesting T-cells that have already penetrated a patient's tumor, as these are considered more effective at targeting cancer than lymphocytes from peripheral blood. The company is actively working to expand its TIL-based treatments to other types of cancer.

Neogen TC's business model is centered on the research, development, and eventual commercialization of these advanced immunotherapies. A significant milestone was achieved on April 6, 2021, when the company secured $13.3 million in a Series A funding round. This financing was supported by a consortium of ten investors, including notable firms like DSC Investment, Seoul Investment Partners, and Devsisters Ventures. The company's strategy includes advancing its TIL therapy into Phase 1 clinical trials and furthering its research into neoantigen-specific TILs and next-generation T-cell receptor (TCR) engineered T-cell therapies.