[Edaily Reporter KIM SAE-MI ] April Bio ( AprilBio Co.,Ltd.(397030)) announced on the 24th that it will transfer the master cell bank (MCB) and reference materials necessary for the follow-up clinical development of its new drug candidate “APB-R3” (EVO301) to its global partner, Evommune, for approximately 600 million won.

This marks a step in which Evommune is directly securing key materials necessary for subsequent development and drug production ahead of the announcement of the final Phase 2a clinical trial results at the end of next month.

Previously, on the 21st, AprilBio Co.,Ltd. disclosed that it had signed an agreement with Evommune for the transfer of APB-R3-related MCB materials totaling $430,128 (approximately 600 million won). The contract value represents 27.6% of AprilBio Co.,Ltd.’s revenue of 2.2 billion won last year.

Under this agreement, AprilBio Co.,Ltd. will transfer to Evomune its remaining 325 vials of MCB, 162 vials of reference standards, and 80 vials of finished drug product related to APB-R3.

The transfer value for the MCB is $415,730 (approximately 600 million won), and for the reference standards, it is $14,399 (approximately 20.06 million won). The 80 vials of finished drug product will be transferred free of charge. Payment is scheduled to be made within 30 days of the issuance of the invoice.

APB-R3 is a new drug candidate developed by AprilBio Co.,Ltd. and transferred to Evomune through a technology transfer. The two companies signed a technology transfer agreement for APB-R3 in June 2024. Since then, AprilBio Co.,Ltd. has been sequentially transferring relevant development and manufacturing materials to support Evomune’s clinical development and manufacturing.

This agreement is an extension of the ongoing development support provided under the existing technology transfer agreement. Evomune will take possession of the remaining MCB owned by AprilBio Co.,Ltd., which is currently stored at Charles River’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility in the United States. Along with ownership, responsibility for future storage and management will also be transferred to Evomune.

MCBs are foundational assets used to store and manage cells for the production of biopharmaceuticals at a consistent quality level. Securing a stable supply of cells is essential for the continuous production of investigational drugs and the conduct of subsequent clinical trials. As Evomune directly secures the MCBs, reference materials, and finished drug products, the management of materials required for the follow-up development of APB-R3 will shift to be partner-led.

Notably, this transfer took place approximately one month before the announcement of the final results from the APB-R3 Phase 2a clinical trial. Evomune is scheduled to announce the final results of the Phase 2a trial on the 30th of next month. The company views this as a measure demonstrating Evomune’s commitment to APB-R3, given that it has secured the key materials necessary for follow-up development in advance of the results announcement.

AprilBio Co.,Ltd. stated, “This agreement is part of the process for Evomune to secure the key materials necessary to proceed with the follow-up development of APB-R3 without a hitch,” adding, “Ahead of the clinical results announcement, we have confirmed Evomune’s commitment to developing APB-R3.”

The spokesperson continued, “Atopic dermatitis, the primary indication for APB-R3, is a massive market worth 30 trillion won,” and added, “We expect the value of APB-R3 to become more prominent as clinical development progresses.”