Huons Biopharma partners with KIST to develop dry macular degeneration eye drops
Huons Biopharma signed a technology transfer agreement with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) to develop a peptide treatment for dry macular degeneration.
Through this agreement, Huons Biopharma has introduced a new dry macular degeneration peptide therapeutic candidate that can be administered with eye drops. The compound was developed by researchers at KIST's Natural Product New Drug Business Team to improve the existing injectable-based administration method.
The dry macular degeneration peptide therapeutic candidate has completed domestic patent and PCT applications. Huons Biopharma recognized the substance's potential and the technology's value and signed a technology transfer agreement. By securing exclusive rights to the technology, the company plans to enter the market for treating geriatric diseases targeting dry macular degeneration.
The research team at KIST's Natural Product New Drugs Business Team focused on the inflammatory signaling of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), a major cause of macular degeneration. After building and using a peptide drug library, they identified a candidate peptide that inhibits the interaction between TLR signaling proteins. Animal testing of the compounds confirmed the therapeutic effectiveness of eye drops of the peptides in mice with dry age-related macular degeneration.
According to the company, this collaboration will enable Huons Biopharma to develop novel peptide-based eye drops to improve dosing convenience for patients with dry macular degeneration and reduce the side effects and cost burden of repeated invasive treatments. Furthermore, it is expected to replace existing injectables to fulfill unmet medical needs and create a new market for peptide therapies for geriatric eye diseases.
“We decided to secure a pipeline of promising peptide therapeutics for the aging population to enhance our competitiveness in the geriatric disease market,” Huons Biopharma CEO Kim Young-mok said. “We will work closely with KIST to conduct global clinical trials and obtain marketing authorization for our innovative new drug for dry macular degeneration.”
The KIST Natural Product New Drug Business Team is a domestic natural product research institute that has been researching the discovery and control of new biomarkers and targets for aging and chronic diseases since its establishment in 2003.