Vivozon Group teams up with Boryung to commercialize non-narcotic painkiller in Korea

Vivozon Group, comprising Vivozon and Vivozon Pharmaceutical, has joined forces with Boryung to commercialize Vivozon's domestically developed non-narcotic painkiller, opiranserin (VVZ-149), in Korea.

The partnership was formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed on Wednesday, which also included discussions on strategic partnership opportunities for Vivozon's research and development pipeline.

Opiranserin, developed using Vivozon's multi-target drug discovery platform, has emerged as a promising non-narcotic pain reliever intended for post-operative pain management.

The drug has demonstrated its efficacy in phase 3 clinical trials conducted within the country, with the company expecting to receive approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) later this year.

Post-approval, Vivozon Group plans to supply opiranserin in its final product form to Boryung, with both companies sharing responsibilities in distribution and sales.

The two companies also agreed on the possibility of extending the collaboration beyond opiranserin to include potential partnerships on other drugs in Vivozon's development pipeline.

This includes the oral analgesic and potential drug addiction treatment candidate, VVZ-2471, with Boryung considering investments, technology transfers, and establishing strategic partnerships for Vivozon's forthcoming pipeline.

"Boryung is a leading Korean pharmaceutical company with extensive drug development experience and a strong sales and distribution network," Vivozon Group Chairman Lee Doo-hyun said. "We will actively cooperate with Boryung for the successful commercialization of opiranserin and the development of follow-on products."

The company also began in-depth discussions on how the two parties can create synergies through a strategic partnership, Lee added.

Boryung CEO Jang Doo-hyun also said, "With Boryung's experience in drug development and the R&D and sales and marketing capabilities it has accumulated, we will further advance the development and commercialization of opiranserin."

The company will continue to actively collaborate with Vivozon in various fields as well as the subsequent pipeline, Jang added.