Nanjing IASO Biotechnology has signed an agreement with Korea's GC Cell to introduce the CAR-T therapy "Fucaso" (Equecabtagene Autoleucel) to the South Korean market for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
This partnership aims to provide a new therapeutic option for Korean patients with multiple myeloma, and GC Cell plans to sequentially pursue domestic regulatory approval and commercialisation of Fucaso.
Multiple myeloma is an incurable form of blood cancer with a high risk of relapse, most commonly affecting older adults. In South Korea, the number of multiple myeloma patients has been increasing annually due to an aging population.
Many patients eventually develop resistance or refractoriness to existing treatments, limiting their effective options. While some combination therapies have recently become reimbursable — improving the initial treatment landscape — patients in fourth-line and later stages still face a critical lack of viable treatments, as advanced options like CAR-T therapies or bispecific antibodies are often prohibitively expensive and out of reach.
Fucaso is a BCMA (B Cell Maturation Antigen)-targeted CAR-T cell therapy developed by IASO Bio. It received approval in China in June 2023 and is currently being prescribed to patients there. By securing a competitive price point, this innovative therapy is expected to greatly improve accessibility for patients who need it.
