Voronoi 'VRN13' Selected for National New Drug Development Foundation Support Project

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Treatment Candidate
Developing Inhalation Type to Solve Toxicity Issues

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Boronoi, a drug design specialist company, announced on the 7th that its inhalable pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment candidate ‘VRN13’ has been selected as a research support project for building a new drug R&D ecosystem by the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF).

Following this selection, Boronoi will receive R&D funding for two years to derive candidate substances for VRN13.

VRN13 is a targeted therapy that selectively inhibits the proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells, which are the cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension. It minimizes effects on other cells constituting the lungs besides pulmonary arterial smooth muscle, maximizing safety and efficacy. Since previously developed substances failed to gain approval due to systemic toxicity caused by oral administration, Boronoi is developing VRN13 in an inhalation form to act locally in the lungs and maximize treatment efficiency.

Daegwon Kim, CEO of Boronoi, stated, “Being selected for the national new drug development project support allows us to accelerate VRN13’s R&D,” adding, “We plan to derive the final candidate substance next year.”