Inventera Signs Contract with LG Chem for Production of Next-Generation MRI Contrast Agent Raw Materials

Inventera announced on the 17th that it has signed a contract manufacturing agreement with LG Chem for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for a next-generation MRI contrast agent new drug.

Inventera is a new drug development company developing the world’s first iron-based T1-MRI contrast agent. It possesses next-generation MRI contrast agent platform technology that simultaneously satisfies high performance and safety through innovative nanomolecular structure design. Based on this, it is developing new drug pipelines of contrast agents specialized for various diseases that were difficult to diagnose with existing contrast agents.

The lead pipeline, INV-002 (musculoskeletal contrast agent, product name: NEMO-103 Injection), has completed patient dosing (LPO, Last Patient Out) in the domestic Phase 2b clinical trial and is preparing to enter Phase 3. In November last year, it received approval for the Phase 2b clinical trial plan (IND) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), officially starting its global market entry. The second pipeline, INV-001 (lymphatic vascular contrast agent), is currently undergoing domestic Phase 1/2a clinical trials. It aims to enter Phase 2b within this year. INV-002 is expected to be commercialized domestically in 2027, and INV-001 in 2028.

Through this contract, Inventera will provide manufacturing technology to LG Chem, and LG Chem will manufacture and supply to Inventera the clinical research APIs as well as commercial batch production for musculoskeletal and lymphatic vascular contrast agents based on this technology. This secures a high-quality and stable API supply chain for Inventera and establishes a foundation for expansion into the global market beyond Korea.

LG Chem will be responsible for producing high-quality APIs for Inventera’s two main pipelines based on its accumulated experience in contract manufacturing of APIs and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. In particular, LG Chem plans to continue supplying APIs even after commercialization, maintaining the cooperative relationship.

Shin Taehyun, CEO of Inventera, said, “Through this contract manufacturing agreement for API production, we have stably established the manufacturing and supply system necessary for the commercialization of next-generation MRI contrast agent new drugs,” and added, “We expect to realize rapid product commercialization through close cooperation with LG Chem, a leading domestic API production company.”

Hwang Incheol, Head of LG Chem’s Primary Care Business Division, said, “Through this partnership contract, we were able to confirm customers’ high trust in LG Chem’s API manufacturing capabilities,” and added, “We will actively support Inventera’s next-generation MRI contrast agent commercialization by producing high-quality APIs and ensuring stable supply.”