BNC Korea said Thursday that it has signed a joint research and development agreement with SML Biopharm to develop a GLP1 agonist for treating diabetes and obesity using mRNA technology.

Under the agreement, SML Biopharm will utilize its mRNA platform expression technology to express target genes in the body at the expected level, induce therapeutic effects, and combine it with BNC Korea's GLP1-agonist research capabilities.

"Existing therapies are typically produced by fungal cultures and purification of recovered cells using genetic recombination or peptide synthesis," a BNC Korea official said. "When we use mRNA technology, there is no existing complex manufacturing process so that it can be synthesized and produced quickly, and when injected into the body, it can be produced at the expected expression rate."

BNC Korea CEO Choi Wan-kyu said, "The two companies aim for early commercialization through joint research and development of diabetes and obesity treatments with candidate substances derived after confirming efficacy and safety.

"If a new modality of diabetes and obesity treatment using mRNA is developed, it will be an important touchstone for developing protein or peptide substances using mRNA, Choi added.

Based on its GLP1-agonist research, BNC Korea has the technology and capabilities for core sequences, vectors, protein production, and analysis.

As a collaborative research partner, SML Biopharm will participate in developing diabetes and obesity therapeutics with a new approach using the mRNA platform, according to BNC Korea.