Celltrion’s solid tumor ADC drug candidate CT-P73 has received approval for phase 1 clinical trials in Korea

CAR-T Digest - August 2020

10 November 2025: Celltrion’s solid tumor ADC drug candidate CT-P73 has received approval for phase 1 clinical trials in Korea

Celltrion has moved its new ADC candidate CT-P73 into domestic Phase 1 trials after receiving regulatory approval from Ministry of Food and Safety, marking a major step toward testing the therapy in patients with advanced solid tumors
The company aims to evaluate CT-P73 as a potential best-in-class treatment, believing it could be effective in difficult cancers such as cervical, head and neck, and colorectal tumors
CT-P73 targets tissue factor, a protein highly expressed in many cancers, delivering a potent TOP1-inhibiting payload (PBX-7016) developed through open innovation with PinoBio
Earlier preclinical data presented at World ADC showed strong results, with CT-P73 demonstrating a favorable therapeutic index driven by high efficacy and low toxicity
Celltrion also highlighted the stability of its linker and the drug’s strong pharmacodynamic profile, expecting CT-P73 to achieve deep tumor penetration and exert a bystander effect to kill surrounding cancer cells as well