BIORCHESTRA, SK Biopharmaceuticals collaborate to develop miRNA-targeted therapeutics

BIORCHESTRA and SK Biopharmaceuticals announced today that they have forged a partnership to research and develop new therapeutic compounds targeting microRNAs ^[1] (miRNA) for a potential treatment of epilepsy. Under the collaboration agreement, BIORCHESTRA, a South Korea-based privately-held biotech company that develops RNA therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, will be responsible for target discovery, selection, and synthesis via its in-house technology. BIORCHESTRA has a platform using antisense oligonucleotides^[2] (ASO) to inhibit and regulate miRNA function, and a proprietary drug delivery system (BDDSTM) that penetrates the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and delivers RNA drugs to the brain. SK Biopharmaceuticals, a global innovative pharmaceutical company, will validate disease-modifying targets, as well as carry out preclinical studies. The two companies will also jointly own intellectual property and licensing rights to compounds discovered and developed through their research collaboration, while SK Biopharmaceuticals will seek to expand target indications with the compounds for various central nervous system diseases. Jeong Woo Cho, PhD, President and CEO of SK Biopharmaceuticals, said: “SK Biopharmaceuticals is continuously expanding modality to create the next generation of therapeutics. We will further pioneer a new approach to drug discovery for patients through innovation and partnerships, including with BIORECHSTRA.” Branden Ryu, CEO of BIORCHESTRA, said: “Our collaboration with SK Biopharmaceuticals will help us tap into our new partner’s expertise in drug development. We hope to accelerate the discovery and development of potential compounds for patients with CNS diseases.”