Genexine, Inc. (KOSDAQ: 095700), a clinical-stage biotechnology company,  announced new preclinical data for its SOX2-targeting bioPROTAC candidate, GX-BP1, presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026 in San Diego.

GX-BP1 is a first-in-class bioPROTAC drug candidate designed to selectively degrade SOX2, a transcription factor widely recognized as a key driver of tumor progression, cancer stemness, and therapeutic resistance, yet historically considered undruggable. By directly eliminating SOX2 via the ubiquitin-proteasome system, GX-BP1 targets a central driver of tumor relapse, metastasis, and resistance to standard therapies.

Preclinical data demonstrated strong anti-tumor activity across multiple models. GX-BP1 monotherapy achieved approximately 70% tumor growth inhibition (TGI), confirming meaningful standalone efficacy.

In combination settings, GX-BP1 restored sensitivity in chemotherapy-resistant models and enhanced the efficacy of EGFR-targeted therapies, including osimertinib, by suppressing SOX2-driven resistance mechanisms.

Notably, the combination of GX-BP1 with carboplatin and paclitaxel showed a clear dose-dependent response, achieving 87% to 96% TGI, with near-complete tumor growth suppression at higher doses. In addition, while tumor regrowth was observed in the osimertinib monotherapy group, the combination of GX-BP1 with osimertinib completely prevented tumor relapse, accompanied by effective elimination of cancer stem cell populations.

These findings position GX-BP1 as a potential backbone therapy for combination strategies, with broad applicability across chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy settings, particularly in resistant or refractory disease.

Genexine has also established a clinically relevant delivery approach using a lung-targeted lipid nanoparticle (LNP) system, enabling efficient systemic delivery of over 70% GX-BP1 mRNA to lung tissues within 24 hours.

GX-BP1 has demonstrated a comprehensive preclinical profile, including in vivo efficacy, pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and safety, supporting advancement into IND-enabling studies. Genexine is actively pursuing global licensing and strategic partnership opportunities for GX-BP1 and its bioPROTAC platform-based pipelines.

“GX-BP1 represents a differentiated therapeutic approach that directly targets a central driver of cancer resistance,” said Jaehyun Choi, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Head of R&D at Genexine. “We believe its strong combination potential, and GX-BP1’s robust preclinical profile position it as a promising next-generation therapeutic candidate, and we are advancing discussions with global partners.”