Türkiye’s first homegrown cancer drug clears phase 1 trials

ANKARA

Türkiye has reached a milestone in pharmaceutical research, with the country’s first domestically developed drug candidate successfully completing Phase 1 clinical trials, Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu announced.

Speaking to reporters, Memişoğlu said the candidate molecule — developed entirely within Türkiye’s scientific ecosystem — demonstrated strong results in early-stage human trials.

“For the first time, Türkiye is at the stage of discovering a molecule through its own laboratories, hospitals, academics and scientists. Today, it has proven highly successful in Phase 1 studies,” he stated.

According to the minister, the newly developed drug candidate originated from research at Boğaziçi University and involved collaboration with Koç University Hospital and Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Oncology Training and Research Hospital.

Leading the research team, Rana Sanyal explained that the technology enables drugs to directly target tumor cells, reducing side effects while increasing therapeutic efficacy. She noted that multiple drug candidates based on the same platform are currently under development for various cancer types.

The Phase 1 trial was conducted on patients with solid tumors. Officials expect the drug candidate to advance to Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials. If successful, it would mark the first time a fully domestically developed molecule progresses to global medical use, a development Memişoğlu described as Türkiye “presenting its first molecule as a gift to world health.”

The minister’s remarks came alongside broader updates on the country’s cancer prevention strategy. Türkiye operates free cancer screening programs — considered among the more comprehensive globally — targeting breast, cervical and colorectal cancers. These screenings are coordinated through family physicians and public health centers, with mobile units extending access in underserved areas.

Over the past year, approximately 7.7 million citizens underwent free screenings. Authorities identified 276,000 individuals as suspicious cases, with around 28,000 showing early signs of cancer.

The country has also expanded the use of artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic systems, which officials say enhances early detection and treatment precision.