Inventera and LG Chem partner for next-gen MRI contrast agent API production

Inventera, a Korean MRI contrast agent developer, said it has signed a contract manufacturing agreement with LG Chem to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for its next-generation MRI contrast agents under development.

Under the accord, Inventera will provide LG Chem with manufacturing technology, enabling LG Chem to produce APIs for both clinical research and commercial supply. This collaboration ensures Inventera secures a high-quality and reliable API supply chain while laying the groundwork for its expansion into global markets.

LG Chem will use its extensive experience in API contract manufacturing and cutting-edge facilities to oversee the production of Inventera’s key pipeline APIs. The partnership is set to continue post-commercialization, with LG Chem ensuring ongoing API supply.

“We have successfully established a robust manufacturing and supply system essential for the commercialization of next-generation MRI contrast agents through this API production agreement,” Inventera CEO Shin Tae-hyun said. “We anticipate accelerating product commercialization with LG Chem, a leading domestic API manufacturer, through close collaboration.”

LG Chem's Primary Care Business Division Hwang In-chul also said, “This agreement demonstrates the high level of trust in LG Chem’s API manufacturing capabilities.”

The company will actively support Inventera's efforts to commercialize next-generation MRI contrast agents through high-quality API production and stable supply, he added.

Inventera is the first company globally to develop an iron-based contrast agent called T1-MRI. The company leverages an innovative nanomolecular design platform that delivers both high performance and safety, enabling the development of specialized contrast agents for diagnosing diseases that are difficult to detect using conventional agents.

The company’s flagship pipeline, INV-002, is a musculoskeletal contrast agent that has recently concluded patient dosing in a phase 2b study in Korea.

In November last year, the company also received the U.S. FDA clearance for an investigational new drug (IND) application for a phase 2b clinical trial.

Its second pipeline, INV-001, a lymphovascular contrast agent, is in phase 1/2a trials in Korea, with plans to enter a phase 2b later this year. Inventera aims to commercialize INV-002 by 2027 and INV-001 by 2028 in Korea.