Isu Abxis said Tuesday that the company would export a biosimilar technology for “ISU305”, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) treatment, to Russia’s JSC Pharmasyntez-Nord.

PNH is a rare blood disease that causes blood cells to break apart.   It is a biosimilar drug to Soliris® and also treats atypical hemolytic dyslexia and myasthenia gravis. 

Under the agreement, Isu Abxis will receive a down payment, milestone, and royalties from Pharmasyntez, which plans to conduct P3 clinical trials to meet the market demands. 

The company completed phase 1 clinical trials for the biosimilar of Solaris, the global blockbuster with annual sales of 4.3 trillion won ($3.9 billion). 

According to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), the Russian pharmaceutical market is estimated at about 2.2 trillion won ($20 billion), ranking 10th globally. 

“This is our first technology transfer, a huge achievement for us because we have heavily focused on developing and selling our products.” An Isu Abxis official said. “We plan to establish a close partnership with Pharmasyntez on the occurrence of this contract to advance into Russia and CIS regions in the future,” he added.