JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.

Its deal with Sovargen follows a string of other brain-related pacts Angelini Pharma has inked over the last two years, including another deal with a South Korean biotech called Cureverse.\n Angelini Pharma has worked out a $550 million-plus biobucks deal to get its hands on a Korean biotech’s preclinical neuro asset.The deal gives Angelini the option for exclusive licensing rights to SVG1051—an investigational compound from Sovargen—except in certain regions of Asia, according to a Sept. 22 release.In return, the South Korean biotech will receive an upfront payment of an undisclosed amount and have the chance to receive an additional $550 million in development and commercial milestone payments, plus royalties.Together, the Italy-based pharma and South Korean company will move the asset through preclinical development. Angelini will then have the option to move SVG1051 into clinical testing and commercialization, with exclusive rights excluding only the Republic of Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.Sovargen’s SVG1051 holds potential across certain “brain health” diseases, encompassing both neurological and mental health conditions, according to Angelini.The candidate is an antisense oligonucleotide designed to target pathways for mammalian target of rapamycin. The enzyme is a genetically validated target in several conditions, such as drug-resistant childhood epilepsy, according to the release.“Neurological disorders like epilepsy are major contributors to global disease challenges,” Angelini CEO Jacopo Andreose said in the release. “For example, many people living with epilepsy are still unable to reach seizure control despite combination treatment of several anti-seizure medications.”“Our work on SVG105 will be motivated by the ambition to bring much-needed solutions to people living with brain health conditions across the world,” the CEO added. The deal follows a string of other brain-related pacts Angelini has inked over the last two years, including another deal with a South Korean biotech called Cureverse. The 2024 partnership centers around a clinical-stage small molecule the biotech had touted for its potential in Alzheimer’s disease, but Angelini placed more emphasis on the therapy’s potential in epilepsy.The company has also teamed up with Japanese biotech JCR Pharmaceuticals, OmniAB and, most recently, Grin Therapeutics in the last few years. 

Italy's Angelini Pharma on Monday struck a deal to add a preclinical epilepsy asset to its brain health pipeline, which the company has been steadily expanding over the last two years through a string of partnerships.The agreement gives Angelini an exclusive option to develop and commercialise Sovargen's SVG105 outside Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. In exchange, the South Korean biotech will receive an upfront payment and could earn up to $550 million in milestones plus tiered royalties on post-approval net sales.SVG105 is a potentially first-in-class antisense oligonucleotide designed to suppress mTOR signaling, a pathway implicated in drug-resistant epilepsy caused by focal cortical dysplasia type II. "Our research so far demonstrates great potential for SVG105 to transform the treatment landscape in brain health," said Cheolwon Park, chief executive at Sovargen.The two companies will jointly run preclinical studies before Angelini decides whether to advance the compound into clinical testing.Angelini said the pact extends a deal-making run that has diversified its neuroscience portfolio. Recent transactions include collaborations with GRIN Therapeutics for the rare-epilepsy drug radiprodil, OmniAb for a preclinical Kv7.2 programme dubbed RO'599, Cureverse for a Nrf2-targeting brain health compound, and JCR Pharmaceuticals for blood-brain barrier technology. Angelini said its pipeline of brain health candidates "now includes diversified and modern therapeutic modalities ranging from innovative small molecule compounds to biologics and anti-sense oligonucleotides."

HYOGO, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (TSE 4552; “JCR”), a global specialty biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing therapies for rare and genetic diseases, has achieved a key research milestone in collaboration with Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease (“Alexion”), focused on applying JCR’s proprietary J-Brain Cargo® technology to develop a therapeutic protein candidate for a neurodegenerative disease. The achievement triggers a milestone payment from Alexion to JCR. JCR and Alexion are advancing additional initiatives aimed at addressing areas of significant unmet medical need, including a December 2023 agreement to explore oligonucleotide therapeutics with J-Brain Cargo® and a July 2025 license agreement to develop genomic medicines utilizing JCR’s JUST-AAV platform. This milestone and the related payment have already been factored into JCR’s earnings forecast for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026. About the J-Brain Cargo® Platform Technology JCR Pharmaceuticals has developed a proprietary blood-brain barrier-penetrating technology, J-Brain Cargo®, to bring biotherapeutics into the central nervous system. The first drug developed based on this technology and approved in Japan for the treatment a lysosomal storage disorder is IZCARGO® (INN: pabinafusp alfa). About the JUST-AAV Platform Technology JUST-AAV is a proprietary gene therapy platform technology that utilizes modified adeno- associated virus (AAV) vectors. The technology entails insertion of miniaturized antibodies against receptors on selected tissues, organs or the blood-brain barrier onto the capsid surface, enhancing targeted delivery to those tissues and organs. Further capsid modifications minimize off-target effects and improve safety. The name is derived from “JCR” “Ultimate destination of organ” “Safeguarding against off-target delivery” and “Transformative technology” reflecting its potential for broad application across various diseases. About JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (TSE 4552) is a global specialty pharmaceutical company that develops treatments that go beyond rare diseases to solve the world’s most complex healthcare challenges. We continue to build upon our 50-year legacy in Japan while expanding our global footprint into the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. We improve patients’ lives by applying our scientific expertise and unique technologies to research, develop, and deliver next-generation therapies. Our approved products in Japan include therapies for the treatment of growth disorder, MPS II (Hunter syndrome), Fabry disease, acute graft-versus host disease, and renal anemia. Our investigational products in development worldwide are aimed at treating rare diseases including MPS I (Hurler, Hurler-Scheie and Scheie syndrome), MPS II, MPS IIIA and B (Sanfilippo syndrome type A and B), and more. Our core values – Putting people first, Forging our own path, Always advancing, and Committed to excellence – mean that the work we do benefits all our stakeholders, including partners, patients and employees. We strive to expand the possibilities for patients while accelerating medical advancement at a global level. For more information, please visit JCR’s global website: https://jcrpharm.com/. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This document contains forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control. 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