Weekly TechBio News 🐋
📘 Genome & Co 🦠
Genome & Co (Korea, 2015) (Subsidiary: List Biotherapeutics, Inc) is a global biopharmaceutical company that focuses on developing microbiome pharmaceuticals, consumer products and 🆕 immune checkpoint inhibitors based on real-world clinical data and multi-omics analytic technology.
Since its establishment in 2015, as a global leader in the field of microbiome for immuno-oncology and novel drug discovery for immuno-oncology targets, Genome & Company has been collaborating with global pharmaceutical companies, research institutions and hospitals in Korea based on the “Bed-to-Bench” approach (real-world clinical data driven R&D strategy) of GNOCLE™, a platform for discovering novel drug candidates.
On October 2020, Genome & Co initiated clinical trials of GEN-001, an anti-cancer microbiome therapeutic (NCT04601402) in the US. GEN-001 consists of a single-strain bacteria isolated from gut of healthy human volunteers that has been shown to activate dendritic cells, macrophages and T-cell response. In their pipeline they also have GEN-501 an inhibitor of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) biofilm and SB-121 a Lactobacillus reuteri therapeutic from breast milk bacteria among others.
In February 2025, Genome & Co signed a technology transfer agreement with Ellipses Pharma Limited in the UK for its novel immune-oncology drug candidate, GENA-104. This marks the company’s second successful technology transfer within 8️⃣ months, following the out-licensing of an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidate in June 2024 (Genome & Company Licenses GENA-104 to Ellipses Pharma). GENA-104 is an antibody targeting CNTN4 (Contactin-4), discovered by Genome & Co. While CNTN4 was originally recognized as a cell adhesion protein expressed in neurons, recent studies have identified its overexpression on the surface of various cancer cells. Notably, CNTN4 is highly expressed in patients who do not respond to PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors, making it a particularly intriguing target for immune-oncology drug development.
Moreover, Genome & Co recently launched (May 16, 2025) its skincare brand UIQ (www.theuiq.com) on Amazon (Genome & Company's Skincare Brand UIQ Expands into North America with Official Amazon Brand Store Launch). UIQ is renowned for its patented skin-derived microbiome ingredients targeting a range of skin concerns. Through its dedicated Amazon brand store, UIQ now offers signature products including Biome Barrier Cream Mist (100ml) and Biome Barrier Collagen Firming Cleansing Balm (100ml). These 2️⃣ products—part of the Biome Barrier, Biome Remedy, and Biome C collections—exemplify the brand's commitment to science-backed, targeted skincare solutions. Notably, the Biome Barrier Cream Mist was awarded the Amazon's Choice badge shortly after launch, in recognition of its superior quality, user reviews, and fulfillment performance.