OskoTec Exports Autoimmune Disease Drug Technology to Agios in $1 Billion Deal

Transfer of Global Development and Commercialization Rights for Cevidoplenib
Up to $665 Million Including $25 Million Upfront Payment and Milestone Payments

OskoTec announced on June 1 that it has signed a technology transfer agreement with the U.S. biopharmaceutical company Agios for the autoimmune disease treatment candidate, cevidoplenib.

Osco Tech company logo image. Osco Tech

Under the agreement, OskoTec will transfer the exclusive clinical development and global commercialization rights of cevidoplenib to Agios. OskoTec will receive a non-refundable upfront payment of 25 million dollars (approximately 37.5 billion won). Including development, regulatory, and commercialization milestones, the company could receive up to 665 million dollars (approximately 1 trillion won). OskoTec will also receive separate royalties after the product is commercialized.

Cevidoplenib is an oral SYK (Spleen Tyrosine Kinase) inhibitor jointly developed by OskoTec and Genosco. It has completed global Phase 2 clinical trials targeting immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and in 2024, it was designated as an orphan drug for ITP treatment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

This candidate works by selectively inhibiting SYK, which is expressed in B cells and macrophages, thereby blocking the inflammatory response caused by autoantibodies. Its safety and efficacy were confirmed in the Phase 2 clinical trial for ITP completed in 2023.

The upfront payment and milestone payments under this agreement will be distributed between OskoTec and Genosco at a ratio of 75% to 25%, respectively, according to their 2016 agreement.

Agios specializes in the development and commercialization of treatments for rare diseases. The company owns mitapivat, a treatment for red blood cell metabolic disorders, which has been approved in the United States, Europe, and other regions for indications such as thalassemia and pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency.

OskoTec plans to strengthen its research and development strategy focusing on anti-resistance anticancer drugs, using this technology export as momentum. In March, the company signed a collaboration agreement with U.S.-based Yatiri Bio for the joint development of denpibontinib, a candidate treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Tae Young Yoon, CEO of OskoTec, stated, "We believe Agios, with its expertise in rare blood disorders, is the optimal partner to maximize the value of cevidoplenib," adding, "We hope it will grow into a global new drug."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.