Kips Biopharma (hereafter Kipspharma) announced on April 30 that it has begun a non-clinical trial to evaluate the bioavailability (oral absorption rate) of its oral platform technology "Oraloid™," which is to be applied to "oral obesity drugs," using monkeys as test subjects.
Hayong Kim, CEO of Kipspharma, said at a corporate briefing (IR) held at the company's headquarters in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province on April 30, "We are currently conducting a non-clinical trial to officially document the absorption rates of oral insulin and oral GLP-1 in primates through a reputable overseas institution, and administration has already begun." He added, "We expect to be able to disclose the results around June."
Kipspharma is actively developing its oral platform through its subsidiary Kips Biomed. In non-clinical trials conducted on rodents up to last year, the absorption rate of "oral insulin" reached 35%, the highest among domestic companies developing oral platforms.
Kim emphasized, "The primate non-clinical trial is being conducted with both a control group and test groups," and added, "For the test groups receiving the oral formulation, we will divide them into three groups based on different drug concentrations and analyze the drug delivery speed and duration of efficacy in detail."
Kipspharma's oral platform technology, Oraloid, is based on a calcium-based mineral component highly reactive to proteins and peptides, which is key to particleizing the drug. This prevents degradation by gastric acid and digestive enzymes and enhances absorption in the small intestine.
According to Kim, the platform's robust structure allows for a high drug encapsulation rate and requires no chemical synthesis whatsoever. In particular, the carrier is highly stable, enabling storage at room temperature for over a year.
Kim stated, "Once the data is confirmed in the primate non-clinical trial, we will meet again with Novo Nordisk, with whom we had discussions last year, to discuss the future schedule based on this data."
Kim added that, in addition to verifying the bioavailability of the Oraloid technology, Kipspharma is also conducting further research to advance the technology, including extending the drug's half-life and minimizing side effects. To this end, he said, "We are also considering acquiring multiple biotech companies that possess relevant technologies."
Kim explained, "I have long been interested in developing 'biobetters,' which have a higher probability of success than new drug development and can be expanded to multiple indications, thereby maximizing profits. We are focusing all our capabilities on securing a highly scalable platform technology."
Kim further stated, "Through the development of this oral obesity treatment, our ultimate goal is to secure a platform technology that can be expanded to multiple indications and maximize profits. We are concentrating all our efforts on creating a platform technology that satisfies three key conditions: efficacy (absorption rate), durability (extended half-life), and minimization of side effects, so that we can become a company surpassing Alteogen."
Meanwhile, according to global investment bank Morgan Stanley, the global obesity treatment market is expected to grow rapidly from $8.9 billion (about 12.7 trillion won) last year to $54 billion (about 77.5 trillion won) by 2030. The industry expects that, if an oral obesity drug that is convenient to take is released, the obesity treatment market will expand to at least 100 trillion won, according to Goldman Sachs.
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