SK Biopharmaceuticals, a biotech firm specializing in treatments for central nervous system disorders and oncology, announced a major licensing deal with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) to acquire exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize WT-7695, a preclinical radiopharmaceutical therapy. The candidate was developed in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This marks SK Biopharmaceuticals’ second in-licensed asset in the radiopharmaceutical space, following its 2024 acquisition of SKL35501 (formerly FL-091).

Since then, the company has bolstered its radiopharmaceutical capabilities through strategic supply agreements with TerraPower in the U.S. and PanTera in Belgium, securing access to Actinium-225 (225Ac), and expanding research collaborations to strengthen its presence across the full radiopharmaceutical value chain.

WT-7695 is a small-molecule radiopharmaceutical targeting carbonic anhydrase IX (CA9), a protein that drives cancer cell growth and metastasis under low-oxygen conditions.

CA9 is highly expressed in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) as well as pancreatic and colorectal cancers, making it a validated target for radiopharmaceutical therapy. Preclinical studies show promising efficacy, suggesting WT-7695 could emerge as a best-in-class treatment.

“This agreement underscores the promise of CA9 as a target in advancing cancer treatment for patients around the world,” said Erik Iverson, CEO of WARF. “We’re deeply proud of the collaboration between our WARF Therapeutics team and the University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers, whose work paved the way for this partnership with SK Biopharmaceuticals. Together, we’re committed to accelerating the development of this promising therapy and bringing it closer to the patients who need it.”

“By securing this promising candidate with demonstrated preclinical efficacy, SK Biopharmaceuticals will further diversify its radiopharmaceutical therapy portfolio and reinforce its R&D capabilities through global collaboration,” said Donghoon Lee, CEO of SK Biopharmaceuticals.

“We will continue to expand our pipeline based on validated targets, strengthen our expertise across the integrated radiopharmaceutical value chain, and accelerate the development of next-generation cancer treatments to deliver meaningful solutions for patients with high unmet medical needs worldwide.”