The cost of producing a single personalized AI cancer vaccine dose for one patient is currently about KRW 200 million at the Phase 1 clinical trial stage, and manufacturing can take 6–8 weeks, according to the company. SCL Science is preparing clinical trials of personalized cancer vaccines for liver, gastric, and ovarian cancers, and plans to begin first patient dosing from 2028.

SCL Science held “2026 R&D Day” at Kyobo Securities’ headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the 29th and unveiled its subsidiary Neogen Logic’s AI-based cancer vaccine development strategy and clinical plans. The company aims to secure a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) this year, submit clinical trial applications in Korea and Japan from 2027, and begin first patient dosing in 2028.

Personalized cancer vaccines are produced by identifying targets in a patient’s cancer cells that are highly likely to be attacked by immune cells and manufacturing a vaccine tailored to each patient. Neogen Logic uses its AI platforms “DeepNeo” and “LexiNeo” to predict the likelihood that cancer cell targets will be presented to a patient’s immune system, recognized by T cells and B cells, and trigger an immune response.

Responding to a question from DongA.com, Choi Jeong-gyun, CEO of Neogen Logic and professor at KAIST, said, “The company we are about to sign a contract with is talking about a per-patient cost of around KRW 200 million for a Phase 1 clinical trial,” adding, “It is not a finalized figure, but roughly at that level.” He said it is expected to take about 6–8 weeks to manufacture a vaccine for each patient.

The KRW 200 million does not represent the actual treatment cost that patients will bear upon future commercialization. It is the estimated cost required in the clinical stage to manufacture and supply one personalized vaccine dose for a single patient. Choi explained that, because personalized vaccines are currently produced in very small quantities for each patient, costs are high, but they could be reduced if small-scale production facilities are later established at the hospital or regional level.

● Liver, gastric, and ovarian cancers first…colorectal cancer prioritized for off-the-shelf vaccine

Neogen Logic’s personalized cancer vaccine pipeline under preparation includes “DLV-N1,” which aims to prevent recurrence after liver cancer surgery; “DLV-N2,” designed for use in combination with adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer; and “DLV-T1,” which targets maintenance therapy for ovarian cancer.

In ovarian cancer, the company is considering a combination strategy with PARP inhibitors. Choi said the plan is to confirm safety and immune responses in the early clinical stages and then compare the outcomes of PARP inhibitor monotherapy versus combination therapy with the cancer vaccine. He added that in vitro studies using patients’ ovarian cancer tissue are currently underway to determine whether an immune response occurs when PARP inhibitors and the vaccine are applied together.

Separately from personalized vaccines, Neogen Logic is also developing an off-the-shelf cancer vaccine designed for use across multiple patients. The company is promoting its “DLV-C” program, which targets novel antigens derived from the “dark proteome.” If targets that are selectively produced in cancer cells and commonly expressed across multiple patients can be identified, they could be developed as an off-the-shelf vaccine manufactured in advance without patient-specific production processes, according to the company.

Regarding the priority cancer types for the off-the-shelf vaccine, Choi said, “Currently, the top priority is colorectal cancer.” The company is narrowing down candidates by analyzing large-scale proteomic data to determine whether antigens derived from the dark proteome are highly expressed, whether existing mutation-based neoantigen candidates are relatively scarce, and whether there are antigens commonly found across many patients. At present, colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer are being treated as the top priorities.

DLV-C is planned as a joint research project with a domestic mRNA vaccine company. The two companies are discussing collaboration options that go beyond simple contract manufacturing to include joint use of technology and production facilities, and intend to disclose key development plans once an agreement is signed.

● Clinical trials in Korea and Japan first…exploring U.S. entry with partners

SCL Science and Neogen Logic are seeking to initiate clinical trials first in Korea and Japan. The company noted that there had been country-specific uncertainties regarding how to treat algorithms for selecting patient-specific targets within regulatory frameworks for personalized cancer vaccines, but said it has coordinated with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on clinical development direction in Korea.

Japan was also considered because SCL Group can leverage local partners already secured through its existing businesses. Kim Pilnam, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Neogen Logic and professor at KAIST, explained that, for certain cancer types such as liver and gastric cancer, Asian patients account for a high proportion, so starting clinical trials in Korea and Japan could be beneficial for subsequent global development.

The company is simultaneously preparing for entry into the United States. Kim Sangcheol, Head of Corporate Strategy at SCL Group, said, “We regard the United States as the ultimate market,” and revealed that discussions with local partners have begun. Choi assessed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory discussions on personalized therapies are becoming more concrete, and anticipated that manufacturing and quality-related data prepared in Korea and Japan could later be used for U.S. clinical trial preparations.

SCL Science is pursuing a reorganization of its governance structure, with a merger with Neogen Logic as the most likely option. The plan is to consolidate cancer vaccine-related technologies and research outcomes currently dispersed among Neogen Logic, KAIST, and the SCL Science Joint Translational Research Institute under SCL Science, thereby improving the efficiency of clinical development and business execution. The company stated in its official materials that it is seriously considering a merger with Neogen Logic as a key option.

At the event, Kim said that consent from Neogen Logic’s existing institutional investors, whose approval is required for the merger process, had recently been obtained. “We are in a position where we can establish a concrete plan and proceed immediately,” he said, adding that further details will be announced in due course.

However, the merger structure, merger ratio, implementation schedule, and whether to submit the proposal to the board of directors have not yet been decided. The company plans to proceed in accordance with relevant laws and disclosure regulations once detailed plans are finalized.

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