image credit- freepik
SK Biopharmaceuticals, a South Korea-based biotech company specialising in research, development, and commercialisation of treatments for central nervous system (CNS) disorders and oncology, has announced a license agreement with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) to acquire the exclusive worldwide rights for research and development (R&D), manufacturing, and commercialisation of WARF's "WT-7695," a preclinical-stage radiopharmaceutical therapy candidate developed in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, US.
This agreement represents SK Biopharmaceuticals' second in-licensed asset in the radiopharmaceutical therapy field, following its first asset "SKL35501 (formerly FL-091)" in 2024. Since then, SK Biopharmaceuticals has continued to strengthen its foundation in the radiopharmaceutical field through supply agreements with TerraPower, a US nuclear innovation company, and PanTera, a Belgian radioisotope producer, securing Actinium-225 (225Ac), and through multiple research collaboration agreements to broaden its expertise and capabilities across the full radiopharmaceutical value chain.
WT-7695 is a small-molecule radiopharmaceutical candidate in preclinical stage designed to target carbonic anhydrase IX (CA9), a transmembrane protein that plays a critical role in cancer cell growth and metastasis under hypoxic conditions. CA9 is highly expressed in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC)[1] and other solid tumors such as pancreatic and colorectal cancers — making it a validated and selective target for radiopharmaceutical therapy development. Preclinical studies have shown promising efficacy, suggesting that WT-7695 has the potential to become a best-in-class radiopharmaceutical candidate.
Through this license agreement, SK Biopharmaceuticals continues to pursue a balanced growth strategy, strengthening internal capabilities while expanding strategic partnerships to advance R&D in radiopharmaceutical therapy.
