[Edaily Reporter KIM SAE-MI ] AprilBio Co.,Ltd. has acquired a dual-target small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based therapeutic candidate for metabolic diseases from Curigen, a company in which it recently acquired a stake.

AprilBio Co.,Ltd.(397030)The company announced on the 22nd that it had signed a technology licensing agreement with Curigen on the 21st for a new drug candidate for metabolic diseases based on a dual-target siRNA platform.

This agreement follows AprilBio Co.,Ltd.’s acquisition of a 25.26% stake in Curigen for 2.89 billion won, making it the second-largest shareholder. Previously, AprilBio Co.,Ltd. announced that it had secured options for the siRNA platform and priority in joint development through the stake acquisition.

Although the contract amount is undisclosed, it exceeds 10% of AprilBio Co.,Ltd.’s revenue for the most recent fiscal year (2.172 billion won). Although the amount exceeded 200 million won, the specific contract amount and target compound were not disclosed at the request of the counterparty to keep them confidential. The disclosure moratorium for the contract amount and target compound runs until October 31, 2046. The specific proportions of the upfront payment and conditional milestones have not been confirmed.

The agreement includes terms stipulating that additional milestone payments will be made upon obtaining the first commercial approval in the first and second countries, respectively. If AprilBio Co.,Ltd. exports the technology to a third party, the two companies will share the proceeds according to a ratio predetermined by both parties. The contract term extends until the latest of the following dates for each country: the expiration date of the final valid claim of the relevant patent, the expiration date of the regulatory exclusivity period, or 12 years from the date of the first commercial sale.

The candidate compound is designed to simultaneously inhibit two different genes using a single siRNA. It utilizes GalNAc, which binds to receptors on the surface of liver cells, to deliver the drug to the liver. The company explained that this candidate compound could be developed as a treatment for metabolic disorders such as dyslipidemia, which involves the simultaneous regulation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides.

According to AprilBio Co.,Ltd., the candidate is designed to inhibit both targets as a single molecule and remain active in the body for up to six months. The company expects it to demonstrate competitiveness in terms of efficacy, stability in vivo, and pharmacokinetic properties compared to existing platforms.

AprilBio Co.,Ltd. plans to lead the preclinical development of the candidate compound by leveraging Curigen’s RNA research capabilities. AprilBio Co.,Ltd. has been building its pipeline centered on the long-acting antibody platform “SAFA” and the antibody-based drug delivery platform “REMAP.” Recently, it has been expanding its R&D scope into RNA therapeutics by jointly developing siRNA candidates, including antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs), with Curigen.

An AprilBio Co.,Ltd. official stated, “Given that this compound combines metabolic diseases—an area of intense interest among big pharma companies—with dual-target and siRNA technologies, we internally expect that an early technology transfer may be possible.”