[Edaily Reporter Kim Jinsoo ] On the 20th, in the pharmaceutical and biotech sector, iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc.(048530)drew investors’ attention after signing a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) for subcutaneous (SC) injection technology. #G2GBIO, Inc. saw its stock price rise sharply from the morning of the 19th following news that it had signed a platform evaluation agreement with a Chinese pharmaceutical company regarding the development of long-acting injectable drugs.

Curiox Biosystems Co., Ltd.(445680), on the other hand, hit the daily price limit down during the morning session following reports of potential technology leaks and disputes with a competitor.

iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc. Rises on SC Platform MTA

According to KG Zeroin’s MP Doctor (formerly Marketpoint), iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc.’s stock price rose as high as 3,500 won during the morning session but later gave up some of its gains, closing at 3,000 won—up 6.76%. Analysts attribute the attention on iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc. to the signing of a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA).

On this day, iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc. announced that it had signed a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) with a global biopharmaceutical company based in Europe for its next-generation subcutaneous (SC) drug delivery platform technology, “pHyal20.” Through this agreement, iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc.’s independently developed bacteriophage-derived hyaluronidase platform, pHyal20, will be applied to the global partner’s actual therapeutic biopharmaceutical pipeline to verify its suitability for subcutaneous administration and commercial feasibility.

The subcutaneous formulation conversion platform is a core technology that replaces the inconvenience of patients having to receive intravenous (IV) injections at a hospital for several hours with a subcutaneous injection that takes only a few minutes. As a result, major pharmaceutical companies are rushing to adopt SC formulation conversion technologies.

Currently, most global SC formulation conversion technologies are based on “human PH20,” which has led to frequent patent disputes. In contrast, iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc.’s pHyal20 was developed based on a novel sequence derived from bacteriophages, distinct from existing human PH20, and is therefore free from existing patent infringement issues.

Furthermore, according to iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc., the application of an E. coli microbial fermentation process increases mass production yield and lowers production costs, making it an attractive alternative not only for new drugs but also for biosimilar companies where price competitiveness is essential.

Preclinical tissue evaluation results conducted by iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc. showed that pHyal20 demonstrated excellent subcutaneous tissue diffusion efficacy even at low enzyme doses. Recently, the company also achieved a technical breakthrough by establishing optimal buffer formulation conditions—using excipients designed to meet the standards of commercial SC formulations—that maintain stable enzyme activity over the long term even under refrigerated storage conditions.

Based on this evaluation collaboration, iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc. plans to expand discussions on non-exclusive partnerships and technology exports with global pharmaceutical and biotech companies seeking to transition to subcutaneous injections. An iNtRON Biotechnology, Inc. official stated, “Global biopharmaceutical companies highly evaluated pHyal20’s differentiated sequence structure, excellent diffusion performance, and cost advantages in microbial production, leading to the launch of this joint evaluation,” adding, “We will focus on proving the value of pHyal20 as a new platform for the global market and on achieving technology transfer results.”

However, caution is warranted, as a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) does not signify the successful conclusion of a technology export deal or the completion of technical validation. An MTA is a contract under which a company provides a new drug candidate to a partner company for evaluation of its efficacy, safety, and development potential. As such, it differs from technology export, which involves transferring development and commercialization rights for the technology or granting permission for its use.

G2GBIO, Inc.’s Long-Acting Injection Technology Draws Attention

G2GBIO, Inc.’s stock price closed at 37,000 won, up 14.91% from the previous day. On the 19th, G2GBIO, Inc. announced that it had signed an agreement with China’s United Bio Technology (UBT) to evaluate its long-acting injection platform for metabolic disease candidates.

UBT made a name for itself last year by licensing its diabetes and obesity treatment candidate “UBT251” to Novo Nordisk in a deal worth a total of $2 billion.

Market analysts believe the candidate under evaluation in this agreement is likely a dual- or triple-action agent. Last June, at the American Diabetes Association meeting, G2GBIO, Inc. demonstrated a technology that suppresses initial drug release by encapsulating high-concentration drug formulations within microparticles in a study of a one-month-duration formulation using Eli Lilly’s triple-action agent “Retatruotide.”

G2GBIO, Inc. has established a track record in developing long-acting formulations for various obesity treatment candidates, including GLP-1 agonists (single-, dual-, and triple-acting) and amylin. This year, the company is accelerating its global technology commercialization efforts by expanding collaborations with Samsung Bioepis, Celltrion, UBT, and others.

A G2GBIO, Inc. official stated, “Long-acting injectables utilizing the InnoLamp platform have been validated by many global companies. We expect the evaluation to be completed early.”

Curiox Hits Daily Low,

Then

Rebounds Slightly

Curiox’s stock price

hit the daily low

during the morning session but subsequently

rebounded slightly

, closing at 54,000 won, down 22.08%. The decline in Curiox’s stock price is attributed to a technology dispute with a competitor.

On the same day, PharmDaily published an article titled “[Exclusive] They Said They’d Partner, But Then Used Competitive Equipment…Global Company’s New Product Suspected of Misappropriating Curiox Technology,” which reported allegations that the “BD FACS360”—an automated pretreatment device developed by Waters (formerly BD Biosciences), the global leader in the flow cytometry market, that washes cells without centrifugation—utilized Curiox’s technology.

According to the article, the two companies signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) last year and discussed an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partnership. Curiox conducted equipment demonstrations and employee training for BD and even provided a software prototype, but negotiations subsequently broke down.

The core of the controversy is that the FACS360’s centrifuge-free cell washing and automation features are similar to Curiox’s “C-FREE” technology and “Pluto Workstation.” As BD is set to unveil the BD FACS360 soon, the actual washing mechanism of the FACS360, the circumstances of its development, and whether there was a breach of the NDA are expected to become key issues.

Curiox is preparing a legal response. In a statement released today, Curiox stated, “If intellectual property infringement is confirmed in connection with a major global equipment manufacturer’s entry into the automated cell pretreatment market, we will take necessary measures, including legal action.”

Curiox maintains that it has already prepared to protect its intellectual property based on advice from legal experts and that it can maintain a competitive edge based on its technological capabilities and commercialization experience, even with the entry of a major competitor into the market.

Finally, Curiox stated, “The entry of major companies actually attests to the growth potential of the automated cell pretreatment market,” adding, “We have transformed the centrifugation process, which had remained unchanged for over 60 years, and are leading innovation. We will continue to maintain our firm leadership position.”