[Market Focus] Curacle Surges 4% on Successful Phase 2b Trial for Diabetic Nephropathy

Curacle, a new drug development company, saw its stock price rise by over 4% in early trading after successfully completing Phase 2b clinical trials of 'CU01', an oral treatment for kidney disease currently under development for diabetic nephropathy.

As of 9:19 a.m. on April 3, the company's shares were trading at 14,490 won, up 4.39% (610 won) compared to the previous day. The successful completion of the Phase 2b clinical trial for diabetic nephropathy appears to have boosted investor sentiment.

On the previous day, Curacle disclosed the contents of the final Clinical Study Report (CSR) for the Phase 2b trial through an announcement on the Financial Supervisory Service's DART system. The purpose of the clinical trial was to determine the appropriate dosage of CU01 and to evaluate its efficacy and safety.

The Phase 2b trial was conducted at 24 university hospitals nationwide, enrolling 240 patients with diabetic nephropathy. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to the low-dose group, high-dose group, and placebo group, and received treatment for 24 weeks.

According to the results, there was a statistically significant difference in the primary endpoint—the change in uACR (urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio) at week 24 of treatment—compared to the placebo group. The low-dose group showed a 21.45% reduction and the high-dose group showed a 22.21% reduction compared to the control group.

A Curacle representative stated, "Based on the data confirmed in this Phase 2b trial, we plan to proceed with a Phase 3 clinical trial."

Diabetic nephropathy is a major microvascular complication of diabetes, occurring in approximately 30–40% of diabetic patients. As the disease progresses, it can lead to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation.

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