Huons Biopharma announced on the 18th that it signed an agreement with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) on the 17th for the development of a dry macular degeneration eyedrop. Through this agreement, Huons Biopharma has introduced a new dry macular degeneration peptide therapy candidate that can be administered as eye drops. This candidate substance was developed by a research team from the Natural Products Research Center of KIST to improve upon the existing injection-based administration method. Both domestic and international patents for this substance have been filed.
A representative from Huons Biopharma stated, “We have determined that the candidate substance has significant potential and technological value, leading us to sign the technology transfer agreement. We aim to enter the market for treatments targeting elderly diseases, specifically dry macular degeneration, by securing exclusive technology rights.”
The research team at KIST’s Natural Products Research Center focused on the inflammation signals of the Toll-like receptor (TLR), known as a major cause of macular degeneration. By building and utilizing a peptide drug library, they discovered a candidate peptide that inhibits interactions among TLR signaling proteins. They verified the therapeutic effects of peptide eye-drop administration through animal experiments in mice induced with dry macular degeneration.
Kim Young-mok, CEO of Huons Biopharma, stated, “This decision is aimed at enhancing our competitiveness in the elderly disease market by securing a promising peptide therapy research and development pipeline in the era of aging. We plan to collaborate with KIST to conduct global clinical trials for innovative new drugs for dry macular degeneration and obtain product approvals.”
Meanwhile, the KIST Natural Products Research Center, established in 2003, has been conducting research on finding and controlling new biomarkers and targets for aging and chronic diseases.