[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] Yuhan Corporation (CEO Cho Wook-je) announced on the 17th that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial in Europe for YH25724, a dual-action innovative new drug for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver diseases, co-developed with its partner Boehringer Ingelheim.
In this clinical trial, approximately 80 healthy overweight male subjects will receive a single ascending dose of YH25724 via subcutaneous injection to evaluate safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics, with completion targeted for June next year.
With the first patient dosing in the Phase 1 trial, Yuhan Corporation is expected to receive a milestone payment of $10 million (approximately 11.8 billion KRW) from Boehringer Ingelheim. This amount is part of the total $870 million (1.3 trillion KRW) in upfront, development, and commercialization milestones that Yuhan Corporation can receive under the contract. Since signing the technology export agreement in 2019, Yuhan Corporation has already received a non-refundable upfront payment of $40 million (47.4 billion KRW).
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is a disease area with high unmet needs worldwide due to the lack of approved treatments. YH25724 is a long-acting protein developed using Genexine’s sustained HyFc technology and Yuhan Corporation’s proprietary protein engineering technology. Preclinical studies demonstrated efficacy in reducing liver cell damage and inflammation through the resolution of steatohepatitis and direct anti-fibrotic effects.
A Yuhan Corporation official stated, "With the initiation of the first patient dosing, we are embarking on full-scale clinical development, bringing us one step closer to an innovative new drug treatment for patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis."
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