KORTUC

KORTUC is a clinical-stage oncology biotechnology company that develops a proprietary radiosensitizer, KRC-01, designed to improve the effectiveness of radiation therapy for solid tumors. The company’s technology addresses tumor hypoxia—a state where low oxygen levels make cancer cells resistant to radiation—by injecting a formulation of 3% hydrogen peroxide and 1% sodium hyaluronate directly into the tumor. This solution works by inactivating antioxidative enzymes within the tumor and increasing oxygenation, which enhances the reactive free radicals produced by radiation to induce cell death. To facilitate clinical use, the company has developed a prefilled injection device kit intended to allow oncologists to administer the treatment easily as part of existing radiotherapy workflows.

This approach aims to solve a long-standing challenge in oncology, as approximately 60% of cancer patients receive radiation therapy, yet many experience resistance due to hypoxic tumor environments. The KRC-01 radiosensitizer has been utilized in investigator-initiated clinical research involving over 1,000 patients in Japan across various solid tumor indications, including breast, lung, and cervical cancers, with no major safety concerns reported. Currently, KORTUC is advancing its technology through global clinical trials, including registrational studies in the UK, India, and the United States, to validate the performance of its platform and support future commercialization efforts in international markets.