Singapore-based SCG Cell Therapy, a leading biotechnology company, announces that Singapore's Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has cleared the company's Investigational New Drug (IND) application for clinical trials for SCG101 – an autologous T-cell receptor (TCR) T-cell therapy. SCG101 is being developed to treat hepatitis B virus (HBV) related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) – the most common form of liver cancer.

The treatment has recently secured IND approval from China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), making it the first TCR-T cell therapy product approved by the NMPA for the treatment of HCC and the first multi-regional IND approval in the field of cell therapy across Singapore and China.

"The multi-country IND approval for SCG101 is a key milestone for SCG's cell therapy pipeline, proving our capability to fulfil regulatory requirements in the target markets", said Frank Wang, Chief Executive Officer of SCG Cell Therapy. "Globally, liver cancer has the second-highest cancer-mortality rate accounting for over 700,000 deaths each year. Four in five new HCC cases are diagnosed in the Asia Pacific. Singapore is known as a medical centre of excellence in Southeast Asia and is one of the world's top medical tourism destinations. This milestone pushes forward our mission to advance cell therapy to patients in need and strengthens our position as a key global player", Frank added.

"Cell therapy is one of the most promising and rapidly advancing treatments for chronic and life-threatening diseases such as cancer. SCG101, an individualised cancer treatment which is manufactured locally at Cell Therapy Facility of Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA-CTF), offers potential new hope to such cancer patients in Singapore," said Dr Toh Han Chong, Principal Investigator at National Cancer Centre Singapore.