CrystalGenomics Selected for National New Drug Development Project for Autoimmune Disease Treatment

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] CrystalGenomics announced on the 9th that its research on a lead compound for a tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor autoimmune disease treatment has been selected as a project under the 'National New Drug Development Program.'

CrystalGenomics will receive research funding for two years from the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF) to derive a lead compound that selectively inhibits TYK2. The company plans to develop it into a best-in-class candidate within the category.

The most advanced compound is BMS's Deucravacitinib. Its global sales are estimated to be about 4.7 trillion KRW, and it has demonstrated superior efficacy compared to Otezla in Phase 3 clinical trials targeting psoriasis patients. It is known to have a high likelihood of approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Since the target suitability of TYK2 has been verified, the possibility of clinical success is also expected to be high. However, Deucravacitinib is known to have lower TYK2 selectivity, causing side effects such as nasopharyngitis and upper respiratory tract infections.

CrystalGenomics' top priority is to develop a 'TYK2 selective inhibitor,' an unmet medical need for TYK2 inhibitors, to enhance clinical safety. TYK2 is a cytokine signaling pathway associated with the onset and exacerbation of autoimmune diseases. Blocking this pathway suppresses excessive immune responses and produces therapeutic effects.

The National New Drug Development Program is a government-wide national research and development project that supports the entire new drug development cycle with the goal of strengthening the global competitiveness of the domestic pharmaceutical and bio industries and securing essential medicines for public health. It plans to invest 2.2 trillion KRW over 10 years starting this year.

A CrystalGenomics official said, "We are applying a TYK2 protein structure-based new drug candidate discovery platform to identify candidates with high selectivity for TYK2." He added, "Within two years of receiving support from the National New Drug Development Program, we will derive TYK2 selective inhibitor drug candidates that meet unmet medical needs."