[E-Daily Reporter KIM SAE-MI ] IntronBio ( iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc.(048530)) announced on the 20th that it has signed a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) with a global biotech company based in Europe regarding “pHyal20,” its proprietary subcutaneous (SC) formulation conversion platform technology.

Under this agreement, the partner company plans to apply pHyal20 to its own biopharmaceutical pipeline to evaluate its suitability for subcutaneous administration and commercialization potential. The identity of the partner company and the specific drugs to be evaluated were not disclosed.

pHyal20 is a subcutaneous (SC) formulation conversion platform that utilizes bacteriophage-derived hyaluronidase. Hyaluronidase is an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid in subcutaneous tissue, facilitating the diffusion of drugs into the tissue. By utilizing this technology, certain biopharmaceuticals currently administered via intravenous (IV) injection can be converted into subcutaneous formulations.

iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc. is pursuing patent differentiation by utilizing an enzyme sequence distinct from that of the existing human-derived PH20. In particular, the company expects to enable mass production and cost reduction by producing the enzyme through microbial fermentation using E. coli.

The company explained, “We confirmed the subcutaneous tissue diffusion efficacy of pHyal20 through our own preclinical tissue evaluations,” adding, “Recently, we also secured technology to maintain enzyme activity during refrigerated storage by optimizing the buffer conditions for liquid formulations.” iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc. is also developing variants to reduce immunogenicity.

iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc. plans to use this MTA as an opportunity to expand discussions on non-exclusive technology collaboration and technology transfer with global pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

An iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc. official stated, “Global biopharmaceutical companies highly evaluated pHyal20’s differentiated sequence structure, diffusion performance, and the cost competitiveness of its microbial production method, leading them to initiate a joint evaluation,” adding, “Starting with this MTA, we will focus on validating the platform’s value and achieving successful global technology transfers.”