What UCI Therapeutics does

UCI Therapeutics is a South Korea-based pre-revenue biopharmaceutical company founded in August 2020 that develops chimeric antigen receptor natural killer (CAR-NK) cell therapies targeting solid tumors. The company's core technology is its proprietary CellTaCT™ (Cell-based Targeted Convergence Therapy) platform, which engineers NK cells with tumor-targeting chimeric antigen receptors combined with tumor-microenvironment-regulating peptide secretion capabilities. This architecture is intended to enable single-administration combination-therapy effects and overcome limitations of existing CAR-T therapies such as antigen heterogeneity, relapse risk, and neurotoxicity, while supporting an allogeneic, off-the-shelf delivery model. The disclosed pipeline comprises UCI-112, a mesothelin (MSLN)-targeting CAR-NK candidate with preclinical efficacy signals in pancreatic cancer in vitro and in vivo models, and UCI-121, an earlier-stage novel-antibody CAR-NK program in discovery.

The company's business model centers on R&D-stage therapeutic development with anticipated revenue from licensing, royalties, and technology transfer. Its go-to-market is enterprise-oriented, pursued through co-development and contract manufacturing partnerships rather than direct commercialization. In April 2022, UCI Therapeutics entered a 5-year joint development and CMO agreement with Daewoong Pharmaceutical for GMP manufacturing of CAR-NK clinical samples. The company also operates an embedded research presence inside Seoul Asan Hospital's Bio Core Facility Center as part of the CHOICE program, which provides approximately 10.1 billion KRW in non-dilutive support through 2027. Additional collaborations include a November 2022 MOU with Infoboss on AI-driven plant-genome drug discovery and a September 2024 strategic MOU with ProBio on non-viral NK cell gene delivery technologies.

UCI Therapeutics is incorporated as a private venture-backed company headquartered in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, with a corporate research institute in Guri-si, Gyeonggi Province, and a dispatched research lab at Seoul Asan Hospital. The company employs between 1 and 10 people and is led by founder and CEO Jeong Su-young (정수영). To date it has raised approximately 6 billion KRW cumulatively across seed and a 4.2 billion KRW Pre-Series A round in May 2022, and has signaled plans for a larger Series A (80–100 billion KRW target) and a technology-specialized listing in 2026.

Name

UCI Therapeutics

Legal name

주식회사 유씨아이테라퓨틱스

Website

https://uci-therapeutics.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UCI Therapeutics is a South Korean pre-revenue biotech developing CAR-NK cell therapies for solid tumors via its proprietary CellTaCT™ platform. It pursues enterprise co-development and licensing, currently advancing preclinical candidates UCI-112 (MSLN) and UCI-121.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cell Therapy / Cancer Immunotherapy

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

NK Cell Therapies (HLAAABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cell Therapy Developers (Allogeneic/Off-the-shelf) (HLAAABAB)

Keywords

• CAR-NK cell therapy
• Cell-based gene therapy
• Cancer immunotherapy
• Solid tumor treatment
• Allogeneic cell therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Pohang

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. CAR-NK Cell Therapy Development and Commercialization: Pre-revenue biotech company developing CAR-NK based immune cell therapies targeting solid tumors. Revenue expected from therapeutic development, licensing deals, and potential technology transfer agreements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

UCI Therapeutics develops allogeneic CAR-NK (Chimeric Antigen Receptor – Natural Killer) immune cell therapies for solid tumor treatment, built on its proprietary CellTaCT™ (Cell-based Targeted Convergence Therapy) platform. Genetically engineered NK cells are designed to secrete tumor-microenvironment-regulating peptides, enabling combination-therapy effects from a single cell product. The company is pre-revenue and partnered with Daewoong Pharmaceutical as CMO for GMP manufacturing, with pipeline candidates UCI-112 (anti-MSLN) and UCI-121 (novel antibody discovery).

Product overview

UCI Therapeutics is a cell-based gene therapy company developing CAR-NK immune cell therapies for cancer treatment. The company's core product is the CellTaCT™ platform, a cell-based convergence therapy platform that enables single-administration combination therapy effects to overcome limitations of existing combination therapies. The platform addresses solid tumor treatment through tumor microenvironment regulation. The company has pipeline candidates including UCI-112 (targeting MSLN for solid tumors) and UCI-121 (novel antibody-based therapy in discovery stage).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CellTaCT™ 플랫폼: Cell-based Targeted Convergence Therapy platform for developing innovative cell-based fusion therapeutics combining gene-manipulated immune cells with tumor microenvironment modulating peptide secretion for solid tumor targeting.

Products and services

• CAR-NK (Chimeric Antigen Receptor – Natural Killer) Cell Therapy Next-generation immunocellular cancer therapy combining Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) with Natural Killer (NK) cells to target and destroy cancer cells, engineered to overcome the limitations of existing CAR-T therapies for solid tumors.
• CellTaCT™ Platform Proprietary cell-based convergence therapy development platform enabling combination-therapy effects from a single administered cell product, overcoming the limitations of existing combination therapies and regulating the tumor microenvironment for solid tumor treatment via genetically engineered NK cells that secrete tumor-microenvironment-regulating peptides.
• UCI-112 (Pipeline Candidate) CAR-NK pipeline candidate targeting mesothelin (MSLN), expressed specifically on the surface of most solid tumors, demonstrating increased tumor infiltration and enhanced anticancer effects in pancreatic cancer in vitro and in vivo models, with higher cancer-cell killing effects than parental NK cells in five major solid tumor in vitro experiments.
• UCI-121 (Pipeline Candidate) CAR-NK pipeline candidate with novel antibody discovery and validation work in progress for solid tumor targeting.

Quantifiable outcome

• UCI-112 demonstrated increased tumor infiltration in tumor microenvironment-like models
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ProBiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Strategic MOU signed in September 2024 for developing NK cell gene introduction technologies as part of the non-viral gene delivery technologies market development.
• Daewoong Pharmaceutical (대웅제약)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 20225-year joint research and development agreement for CAR-NK immune cell therapy development. Daewoong Pharmaceutical provides GMP manufacturing capabilities and serves as CMO for non-clinical and clinical sample production, while leveraging UCI Therapeutics' cell therapy development technology.
• Seoul Asan Hospital (서울아산병원)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2022Selected as one of 5 venture companies for Seoul Asan Hospital's CHOICE (Core Facility) bio-startup support program. UCI Therapeutics will receive hospital-based corelab services, clinical resources, preclinical efficacy evaluation, and GMP-standard data management support through 2027, with approximately 10.1 billion KRW in total support funding.
• Infoboss (인포보스)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2020AI-based biological resource genome analysis company collaborating on drug discovery and development. Partnership utilizes Infoboss' AI-based Meta Platform to analyze plant-derived natural substance genomes for NK cell proliferation, activation, and anticancer effects, combined with UCI Therapeutics' genetic engineering technology.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Daewoong Pharmaceutical: Large Korean pharmaceutical company and UCI's strategic co-development/CMO partner. Included as an ecosystem participant given its role in manufacturing, clinical supply, and potential commercialization of UCI's CAR-NK assets.

Direct peers

• Shoreline Biosciences: Developer of iPSC-derived allogeneic NK and macrophage cell therapies for cancer, with multiple pharma collaborations — comparable allogeneic off-the-shelf NK platform architecture.
• Nkarta Therapeutics: Clinical-stage US biotech developing allogeneic and gene-engineered NK cell therapies for cancer, including CAR-NK programs targeting solid tumors — the most directly comparable peer to UCI's CAR-NK solid tumor focus.
• Century Therapeutics: Develops engineered allogeneic cell therapies including iPSC-derived NK and T cells for hematologic and solid tumors — comparable in modality (allogeneic engineered immune cells) and oncology focus.
• Adicet Bio: Clinical-stage biotech developing allogeneic gamma-delta CAR-NK and CAR-T cell therapies for hematologic and solid tumors — a direct CAR-NK peer with off-the-shelf positioning.
• Fate Therapeutics: Clinical-stage cell therapy company developing off-the-shelf NK and T-cell cancer immunotherapies derived from engineered iPSC platforms, directly overlapping UCI's allogeneic NK cell therapy thesis.

Broad incumbents

• Allogene Therapeutics: Pioneer in allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy with multiple clinical-stage oncology programs; overlaps with UCI on the allogeneic off-the-shelf cell therapy thesis but is focused on CAR-T rather than CAR-NK.

Emerging players

• ImmunityBio: Clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing NK cell therapies (including haNK and t-haNK platforms) for solid tumors — comparable in NK-based solid tumor targeting though at a later clinical stage.
• Caribou Biosciences: Develops allogeneic CAR-T and CAR-NK cell therapies using CRISPR genome editing — comparable engineered allogeneic cell therapy platform though with broader target scope.
• Acepodia: Clinical-stage biotech developing off-the-shelf allogeneic NK cell therapies with antibody-cell conjugation (ACC) technology — comparable allogeneic NK approach with a different engineering modality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors7 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UCI Therapeutics