Chong Kun Dang Showcases Three Promising Drug Candidates at Major U.S. Medical Conferences
Key Insights
Chong Kun Dang (search) presented preclinical data for three innovative drug candidates at major U.S. conferences in November 2025, including an ADC targeting c-Met (search) for cancer (search) treatment.
The company's oral GLP-1 receptor (search) agonist CKD-514 (search) demonstrated superior weight loss effects at lower doses compared to existing oral obesity (search) treatments in preclinical studies.
CKD-512, an adenosine A2A receptor (search) antagonist for immuno-oncology, showed strong synergistic antitumor effects when combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors in preclinical models.
Chong Kun Dang (search) announced on November 10th that it presented research achievements from its oncology and metabolic disease pipelines at poster sessions during three major international conferences held in the United States, showcasing the company's diverse therapeutic portfolio spanning cancer (search) treatment, obesity (search) management, and immuno-oncology.
ADC Platform Demonstrates Precision Cancer Targeting
At the World ADC 2025 conference held in San Diego on November 2nd, Chong Kun Dang (search) presented preclinical research results on its antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) based anticancer drug candidate, CKD-703. The drug applies next-generation ADC platform technology to a monoclonal antibody targeting the hepatocyte growth factor receptor (search) (c-Met (search)), which was independently developed by the company and is designed to selectively kill only cancer (search) cells.
CKD-703 received FDA approval in July to conduct Phase 1/2a clinical trials and is currently being tested in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (search) and solid tumors (search). In preclinical studies, the drug demonstrated high binding specificity to c-Met (search) and rapid internalization into cancer (search) cells, along with a uniform drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) and improved stability in the bloodstream. The compound also showed improved tolerability due to minimized Fcγ receptor binding and excellent tumor suppression effects observed in various c-Met expression models.
Oral GLP-1 Agonist Shows Promise in Obesity Treatment
On November 4th at the 2025 Obesity (search) Week conference in Atlanta, Chong Kun Dang (search) presented preclinical research achievements for its oral GLP-1 receptor (search) agonist (GLP-1RA) drug candidate, CKD-514 (search). The compound features structural advantages through improved solubility and demonstrated excellent oral bioavailability in large animal models.
In comparative studies, CKD-514 (search) showed significant weight loss effects at lower doses compared to the oral obesity (search) treatment Orforglipron, while demonstrating superior blood glucose-lowering effects at equivalent doses. Follow-up compounds of CKD-514 also demonstrated metabolic improvement effects that were equal to or greater than those of Orforglipron and Semaglutide in comparative studies.
Immuno-Oncology Candidate Targets Adenosine Pathway
At the 2025 Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (search) (SITC 2025) conference held in Maryland on November 7th, Chong Kun Dang (search) presented preclinical research results for its adenosine A2A receptor (search) (A2AR (search)) antagonist drug candidate, CKD-512. This immuno-oncology drug candidate blocks the adenosine signaling pathway, which suppresses the antitumor activity of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.
Phase 1 clinical trials for CKD-512 are currently underway in Korea, and the company has received approval for Phase 1 trials in Taiwan with preparations to begin clinical studies there. In preclinical studies, CKD-512 demonstrated strong receptor-blocking effects through high binding affinity and excellent persistence for the A2A receptor, along with stable restoration of immune cell function under conditions similar to the tumor microenvironment with high adenosine concentrations.
The compound also showed suppression of phospho-CREB expression, a T-cell activation inhibitory signaling pathway, and enhancement of peripheral immune cell activity leading to an overall increase in intratumoral immune response. Notably, CKD-512 demonstrated a strong antitumor synergistic effect when combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and standard anticancer therapies.
Strategic Pipeline Development
A Chong Kun Dang (search) representative stated, "We have confirmed the global competitiveness of Chong Kun Dang's innovative pipeline, ranging from ADC anticancer drugs to obesity (search) treatments and immuno-oncology drugs," adding, "Based on the differentiated pharmacological properties and preclinical achievements of each pipeline, we will accelerate the development of innovative new drugs."
The company's presentation of three distinct therapeutic approaches at major U.S. conferences demonstrates its commitment to addressing unmet medical needs across multiple therapeutic areas, with particular focus on precision medicine approaches in oncology and metabolic diseases.