Reyon Pharmaceutical and Animuscure announced on the 6th that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the joint research and development of a treatment for age-related sarcopenia.
Through this agreement, Reyon Pharmaceutical and Animuscure will leverage their respective strengths and capabilities to conduct joint R&D on the sarcopenia treatment. Concurrently, they plan to continue their collaboration with the goal of securing overseas technology exports (licensing out) and domestic regulatory approvals.
Furthermore, if the joint R&D achievements lead to clinical trials and commercialization, Reyon Pharmaceutical will hold preferential rights regarding the manufacturing rights and domestic marketing authorization for the treatment.
Age-related sarcopenia is a condition in which muscle strength, muscle mass, and muscle function weaken with age, potentially causing secondary diseases and balance disorders, which are highly likely to lead to chronic disability. In particular, as the world enters an aging society, major developed countries have recognized the severity of sarcopenia and classified it as a disease, yet there is currently no approved treatment worldwide. According to recent reports, the market size for muscle disease treatments is estimated to reach 10 to 100 trillion KRW annually.
While global pharmaceutical companies are developing new drugs targeting age-related sarcopenia as an indication, no novel drug has yet achieved uniform improvements across muscle strength, muscle mass, and muscle function. In contrast, Animuscure has received IND approval for a Phase 2 clinical trial to develop a next-generation treatment that significantly improves muscle mass, strength, and function, with clinical dosing scheduled to begin early this year.
Founded in 2020 as a specialized muscle R&D company, Animuscure aims to develop treatments for muscle diseases, including sarcopenia and rare muscle-related disorders. In addition to age-related sarcopenia, the company is advancing the development of treatments for various other muscle-related diseases and plans to pursue an IPO around 2028.
Reyon Pharmaceutical and Animuscure stated, "Through the signing of this agreement, we will utilize Reyon Pharmaceutical's existing research and production capabilities to successfully commercialize the sarcopenia treatment under development by Animuscure." They added, "We expect to generate a powerful synergy between the two companies by combining Reyon Pharmaceutical's long-established R&D and production capabilities in pDNA-based gene therapies with Animuscure's organoid systems utilizing human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and its muscle disease treatment R&D expertise."
Meanwhile, since the early 2000s, Reyon Pharmaceutical has continuously expanded its portfolio through collaborations with various biotech companies, focusing on its production capacity for pDNA—a raw material for gene therapies. Currently, the company possesses processing technologies and production facilities for the mass production of high-purity pDNA. It continues to engage in discussions for CDMO production and joint development with multiple companies, centered around its Chungju plant, a comprehensive biopharmaceutical production platform.
