YD Life Science said Wednesday that it has signed a technology transfer agreement with Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology (KRIBB) to gain the latter’s anti-cancer gene therapy using “CYB5R3,” a new cancer inhibitor.

Under the accord, YD Life science will pay 2.5 billion won ($2.1 million) to KRIBB for the substance. Gene therapy refers to a genetic material or a cell or drug product containing genetic material used for therapeutic purposes in curing the patient’s damaged genes.

A KRIBB team, led by Professor Won Mi-sun, has developed the novel cancer inhibitor CYB5R3 gene as a candidate gene therapy agent. The team has produced excellent antitumor effects by controlling cancer metabolism, and cancer microenvironment in an animal experiment focused on lung and colorectal cancer.

The researchers have already registered related patents in Korea and three European countries – U.K., France and Germany – and are awaiting approval in the U.S. and China

“Ad-CYB5R3 is a novel target-based gene therapy based on a cancer inhibitor,” said a researcher who participated in the development of the candidate. “It can be used as a therapeutic agent for monotherapy or as combination therapy.”

The team expects that the candidate will expand its indication to various cancer, including gastric, liver, prostate, pancreatic cancer and brain tumors, he added.

YD Life Science CEO Lee Jin-woo noted that the global market for anticancer drugs is expected to reach $190 billion in 2022, and become the largest drug market. Lee said, “Now that the company has secured an original technology for cancer therapy, we plan to develop an innovative gene therapy product that can expand indications to various cancer cells.”