Ethan Stone Contributor
In Singapore, one biotech company is changing how we approach cancer treatment. CytoMed Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GDTC), just launched its ANGELICA clinical trial, to fundamentally change how we make cancer treatments available to patients worldwide. Building on the success of CAR T-cell therapy in treating blood cancers, they’re taking things to the next level by tackling a broader range of cancers while making the whole process quicker, easier, and more affordable for patients.
“Think of it as training a versatile army of super-soldiers to fight cancer,” explains Peter Choo, Chairman of CytoMed. “Traditional CAR T-cell therapy takes soldiers from the patient’s own body, but these soldiers are often weakened because the patient has already been through multiple rounds of chemotherapy. Instead, we’re recruiting healthy soldiers from disease-free, well donors and equipping them with special targeting systems to hunt down cancer cells.”
This “targeting system” is an artificial protein called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that helps immune cells recognize and attack cancer cells. While current CAR T-cell therapies require extracting and modifying a patient’s own cells – a process that can take weeks and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars – CytoMed’s approach uses healthy donor cells that could be available “off-the-shelf” when unrelated patients need them simplifying logistics.
Another innovation is its versatile platform to weaponize the immune cells. Different targeting systems can be added to equip these soldiers with combinational therapies such as antibodies.
The Power of Rare Immune Cells
At the heart of CytoMed’s breakthrough is something extraordinary – a rare warrior in our immune system called gamma-delta T cells. These hidden gems are like needles in a haystack, making up just a tiny fraction – less than 5% – of all T cells flowing through our blood. But don’t let their rarity fool you.
These cells are nature’s own cancer-fighting specialists, and here’s what makes them really special: when transferred from a donor to a patient, they’re incredibly smart about their attacks, targeting cancer while leaving healthy tissue alone. The company has developed proprietary technology to multiply these rare cells in the laboratory, making them viable for treatment.
The contrast with traditional cell therapies is striking: while current treatments are like custom-building a car for each patient – a time-consuming and expensive process – CytoMed’s approach is focused on having treatments ready “off-the-shelf,” similar to cars available at a dealership. This could make treatment both more timely and significantly more cost-effective for patients.
The ANGELICA Trial: A New Hope
The ANGELICA trial, now treating patients in Singapore’s National University Hospital, represents a major step forward in cancer treatment. The trial focuses on various types of cancer that are particularly challenging to treat, including solid tumors and involves patients whose cancers have proven resistant to standard treatments.
Charting New Territory in Cancer Therapy
What makes CytoMed’s approach truly remarkable is how far-reaching it could be. While current CAR T-cell treatments have been a game-changer for blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, they’ve hit a wall when it comes to other types of cancer. That’s where CytoMed is breaking new ground – their technology shows promise in fighting more than 20 different types of cancer, from breast to lung, liver to ovaries.
This isn’t just a win for cancer treatment – it’s a proud moment for Singapore’s biotech scene. Born in 2018 from Singapore’s prestigious A*STAR research agency, CytoMed is showing the world that Asian biotech companies aren’t just following trends – they’re setting them. They’re writing a new chapter in cancer treatment innovation.
But they’re not stopping there. The company is pushing boundaries even further by developing a powerful new weapon against cancer. They’re creating a hybrid cell that combines the best of both worlds – Natural Killer (NK) cells and gamma delta T cells, complete with all their natural cancer-fighting tools. Think of it as creating the ultimate cancer-fighting super cell by merging two of our body’s most efficient defenders.
Beyond Cancer: Expanding into Longevity Research
Looking ahead, CytoMed is already exploring ways to expand the use of its technology. In a strategic move that broadens its therapeutic reach, the company acquired a licensed cord blood bank in September 2024, giving them access to naive cord blood – a rare and expensive raw material crucial for developing new treatments. Through its subsidiary LongevityBank, the company plans to research and develop cord blood-derived cells that could treat autoimmune diseases and promote longevity, extending their impact beyond cancer treatment.
This expansion into regenerative medicine opens up new possibilities for treating a wider range of diseases and conditions. The availability of cord blood provides CytoMed with valuable resources for developing innovative therapies that could address multiple medical challenges.
A Global Vision for Accessible Treatment
The company is actively pursuing international collaborations to develop new therapeutic approaches while working to make treatments more affordable and accessible to patients worldwide. Their focus on cost-effective manufacturing and efficient production processes could help bring advanced cell therapies within reach of more patients globally. These cells are inexpensive, streamlined for manufacturing, and easy to ship internationally while retaining high cell viability.
If successful, their “off-the-shelf” approach to cell therapy could represent a major advance in cancer treatment, potentially offering hope to patients who have exhausted other options. With the ANGELICA trial now underway, this marks an important step forward in making advanced cancer treatments more accessible to those who need them most. As CytoMed continues to innovate and expand its therapeutic offerings, it’s positioning itself at the forefront of a new era in personalized targeted medicine, one where cutting-edge treatments are both effective and accessible to patients around the world.
For more information about CytoMed and its unique approach to cancer treatment, visit https://www.cytomed.sg/
Peace LiLy 