[Edaily Reporter KIM SAE-MI ] April Bio ( AprilBio Co.,Ltd.(397030)) announced on the 20th that it has acquired a 25.26% stake in Curigen, a South Korean developer of small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics, for 2.9 billion won, becoming the company’s second-largest shareholder.
Through this investment, AprilBio Co.,Ltd. has secured an option and priority rights for joint development regarding the siRNA platform—the core technology behind the antibody-nucleotide conjugate (AOC) currently under development. As the investment amount represents less than 10% of AprilBio Co.,Ltd.’s equity, this transaction was not subject to public disclosure requirements.
The two companies plan to jointly develop AOC candidates by combining AprilBio Co.,Ltd.’s “REMAP” platform with Curigen’s dual-target siRNA technology. AprilBio Co.,Ltd. will develop delivery shuttles that deliver drugs to target tissues based on REMAP, while Curigen will be responsible for discovering siRNA candidates applicable to various indications.
AprilBio Co.,Ltd. intends to use this investment as an opportunity to expand the scope of its REMAP platform from bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to the field of gene therapies, including AOCs. The company will focus its R&D capabilities on areas with high market potential and competitiveness, such as RNA therapeutics, and will also pursue global partnerships.
An AprilBio Co.,Ltd. official stated, “The global biotech industry is rapidly evolving with the emergence of new therapeutic modalities,” adding, “As part of our ‘selection and focus’ strategy, we will concentrate our development capabilities on pipelines—such as RNA—that align with global market trends and offer high commercial potential and competitiveness, thereby enhancing our corporate value.”
Meanwhile, Curigen, founded in 2016, is developing treatments for intractable tumors and metabolic diseases based on dual-target RNA interference (RNAi) technology and recombinant virus technology. Curigen’s dual-target siRNA technology is designed to simultaneously suppress two or more disease-related genes using a single candidate compound. The company expects this approach to enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce off-target side effects caused by unintended gene interactions.
