Evommune, Inc. today announced it has entered into a definitive, worldwide license agreement with AprilBio Co., Ltd. (Kosdaq: 397030), a biopharmaceutical company based in South Korea dedicated to developing specialized biologics and antibody drugs, for an IL-18 targeted fusion protein.
PALO ALTO, Calf., June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Evommune, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company discovering and developing new ways to treat immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, today announced it has entered into a definitive, worldwide license agreement with AprilBio Co., Ltd. (Kosdaq: 397030), a biopharmaceutical company based in South Korea dedicated to developing specialized biologics and antibody drugs, for an IL-18 targeted fusion protein. Under the terms of the agreement, Evommune receives exclusive, worldwide rights to research, develop and commercialize APB-R3, to now be known as EVO301, a long-acting injectable fusion protein that is designed to neutralize the signal pathway of IL-18 for the regulation of inflammation. Evommune plans to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial in early 2025. “We are committed to making a difference for patients suffering from chronic inflammation. Adding this exciting new targeted molecule is another important growth step for Evommune. EVO301 is a product candidate leveraging a novel approach in a mechanism that has demonstrated activity in prior clinical trials. While we continue to execute on our pipeline, including EVO756, our MRGPRX2 antagonist, EVO301 provides the potential to offer a best-in-class therapeutic for patients being underserved by existing treatment options in multiple diseases. We believe the proprietary serum albumin binding motif fused to an IL-18 binding protein may facilitate deep tissue penetration with an extended half-life,” said Luis Pena, Evommune President & CEO. “As we evaluate partners of our pipeline products, we are thrilled to license the IL-18 fusion protein to Evommune, a company with significant drug development expertise in the areas of chronic inflammatory diseases. Evommune’s ability to broadly develop this product candidate throughout its potentially broad life cycle process was a key driver of our desire to collaborate with them,” commented Dr. Sang-hoon Cha, CEO at AprilBio. About EVO301 A long-acting injectable therapeutic, EVO-301 is a fusion-protein that is designed to neutralize the signal pathway of IL-18 for the regulation of inflammation. IL-18, a proinflammatory cytokine of the IL-1 family, plays an important role in the T-cell-helper type 1 inflammatory response, primarily by its ability to induce IFN-gamma production in T-cells and natural killer cells. About AprilBio AprilBio Co., Ltd. is a biopharmaceutical company in South Korea founded in 2013. The company is specialized in development of specialized biologics and antibody drugs. The company’s platform technologies include a human phage-display Ab library and Anti-Serum Albumin Fab-Associated (SAFA) technology (versatile building block for half-life extension and generation of novel biological therapeutics). AprilBio is focused on rare diseases, oncology, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. About Evommune, Inc. Evommune, Inc., a Palo Alto based biotech company, is creating game-changing science to treat immune-mediated inflammatory diseases by discovering, developing, and delivering therapies that address symptoms and halt progressive disease. For more information, please visit Evommune.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/evommune-secures-exclusive-rights-to-develop-and-commercialize-a-phase-2-ready-il-18-targeted-fusion-protein-from-aprilbio-302179623.html SOURCE Evommune, Inc |