GC Wellbeing announced Thursday that GCWB204, its new drug material for treating cancer cachexia, has shown efficacy in preventing muscle reduction.

GC Wellbeing, jointly with the convergence medical team led by professor Woo Dong-cheol of Asan Medical Center, published the results of the research in global academic journal Metabolomics, according to the company.

The joint research team focused on analyzing the effects of GCWB204 on main biomarkers from animal samples that underwent muscle reduction upon the use of the chemotherapeutic drug 5-Fluorouracil. Animals treated with GCWB204, officials said, have shown 12 percent less muscle weight reduction than the rest of the group.

Cancer-associated cachexia is mostly characterized by systemic inflammation, negative protein and energy balance as well as an involuntary loss of lean body mass.

GC Wellbeing added that its drug material also has the potential of improving muscle function following recovery, in terms of volume.

The company has currently completed the phase 2 clinical trial of GCWB204 on non-small cell lung cancer and digestive cancer patients in Europe, hoping to secure study results within the first half this year.

Talks with global pharmaceutical firms to license the material are also underway, officials said.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)