SEOUL – November 06, 2026 -- VS Pharmtech reported complete remission in all seven patients in a Phase 1 trial of VS-101, a radiosensitizer for head and neck cancer, with no dose-limiting toxicities or serious adverse events. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has since approved the company's Phase 2 plans for head and neck cancer, breast cancer and glioblastoma.
VS-101 repurposes a 20-year-old drug at one-fifth of the original dose
VS-101 makes tumors more responsive to radiation. It weakens RAD51, a protein central to cancer cells' repair of radiation-induced DNA damage, which pushes the cells toward death. The drug has been in use for more than 20 years, and VS Pharmtech is developing it through drug repositioning. The company aims to give patients about 20% of the original dose. CEO Park Shin-young said the drug itself does not cause DNA damage or toxicity.
The Phase 1 trial in Korea enrolled seven patients with stage 1-3 head and neck cancer, who received VS-101 alongside radiation therapy. All seven achieved complete remission.
FDA clears Phase 2 trials combining VS-101 with chemotherapy
The Phase 2 studies extend to patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation together. VS-101 will be added to cisplatin for head and neck cancer and to temozolomide for glioblastoma. Trials at U.S. institutions, including Yale Cancer Center, add the drug to standard chemoradiation for advanced head and neck cancer. The goal is better outcomes without additional side effects.
Park said the company expects approval in the first half of next year for a trial in hard-to-treat ovarian cancer, combining VS-101 with a PARP inhibitor.
Licensing talks and ADC payload deals drive a two-track commercial plan
For VS-101, VS Pharmtech plans to discuss global licensing deals based on interim Phase 2 data. For preclinical candidates covered by new-compound patents, it is negotiating region by region. One option is to supply them as payloads to antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) developers. The company is in talks with firms in the Middle East, Latin America, Japan and China.
VS Pharmtech was selected for MARU SF, run by the Asan Nanum Foundation, and then for Bakar Labs, the UC Berkeley accelerator. It is the first Korean company admitted to Bakar Labs. Park said the first resident company the team approached was Catena Biosciences, founded by former students of Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna, and the company plans to pursue joint R&D with members.
KOSDAQ listing targeted for 2027 after KRW 18.6 billion raised
VS Pharmtech has raised a cumulative KRW 18.6 billion (about US$13 million) and is raising additional funding. It aims to list on the KOSDAQ in 2027 and has appointed a lead underwriter to plan the timeline. Park said the timing "will depend on when we close a licensing deal and how large it is."
Park also called for more government programs, training and patent support to help Korean firms prepare for overseas clinical development. He noted that FDA Phase 2 approval costs relatively little but serves as official recognition of a company's ability to run clinical development abroad.
Park founded the company in November 2018 after a patent advisory meeting at the Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, where he encountered research on combining an existing drug with radiation therapy.