Ildong Pharmaceutical's ‘Yunovia’ and ‘Daewon Pharmaceutical’ enter into co-development and licensing agreement for ‘P-CAB’

Yunovia's successful investment attraction － Daewon Pharmaceutical's pipeline strengthening

lead to mutual 'win-win' in the R&D field.

Yunovia (CEO Lee Chae Joon), a new drug R&D subsidiary of Ildong Pharmaceutical, announced on the 29th that It has signed a co-development and license agreement with Daewon Pharmaceutical (CEO Baek In-hwan) for a new drug Potassium-Competitive Acid Blocker (P-CAB) for peptic ulcer.

Under the agreement, Daewon Pharmaceutical will conduct future clinical development related to Yunovia's P-CAB drug candidate ID120040002, and have all rights to commercialize the drug in Korea, including pursuing approval, manufacturing, and sales.

Yunovia will receive an upfront payment and royalties upon commercialization from Daewon Pharmaceutical, and hold the right to manufacture and sell the drug of different brand with the same ingredients by obtaining the information necessary for approval of ID120040002.

Specifically, ID120040002 is a drug for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) of the P-CAB class that inhibits gastric acid secretion by acting on the proton pump (H⁺/K⁺-ATPase) of stomach wall cells and interfering with the exchange of potassium ions (K⁺) and hydrogen ions (H⁺).

According to the Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of GERD patients in Korea increased by about 15% over five years, from 4.27 million in 2017 to 4.9 million in 2022. BCC Research, a global market research firm, forecasts that the global P-CAB market will grow at a CAGR of 25%, from 61 billion KRW in 2015 to 1.87 trillion KRW in 2030.

Yunovia has previously confirmed the differentiated pharmacological properties and remarkable safety profile of ID120040002 through Phase 1 clinical studies. In particular, ID120040002 showed superior efficacy persistence than competing substances in the same class, with approximately 90% of gastric pH > 4 holding and 60% of gastric pH > 6 holding for 24hr.

Yunovia recently received approval from the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) for a Phase 2 IND to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ID120040002 in erosive reflux disease (ERD) patients, and has completed patent registrations in key countries including Korea, the United States, Japan, and Australia to secure the new drug substance rights.

Baek In-hwan, CEO of Daewon Pharmaceutical, said, “We have created an exemplary case of a co-development of new drugs through step-by-step cooperation rather than competition among domestic pharmaceutical companies. Through the cooperation of two companies with strengths in the digestive system therapeutic area, we will do our best to introduce an exceptional new drug to the market as soon as possible.”

Lee Chae Joon, CEO of ‘Yunovia’, commented, “Through this co-development agreement and investment attraction, ID120040002 has been recognized externally for its value and we have gained momentum to proceed with new drug projects, including funding and partnerships. We plan to continue our R&D strategy for open innovation and commercialization of promising pipelines of ‘Yunovia’, along with license-out targeting global markets like China.”

Picture explanation : The signing ceremony at Daewon Pharmaceutical's headquarters in Seongdong-gu, Seoul on May 29th. 

(From left to right) Daewon Pharmaceutical Vice-Chairman Baek Seung-Yeol, Chairman Baek Seung-Ho, CEO Baek In-hwan, Yunovia CEO Lee Chae Joon, and Ildong Pharmaceutical Vice-Chairman Yoon Woongsup

Original press release was made only in Korean by Ildong Pharm and this translated version was provided by Yunovia later for viewers' convenience.