On May 8, Aribio announced that it will collaborate with the US biotech company Restari to develop new drugs for kidney and liver diseases based on phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor technology.
The two companies plan to combine their drug development capabilities with PDE5 inhibitor technology. They will jointly develop treatments for cystic kidney diseases, including polycystic kidney disease (PKD), as well as chronic liver disease (CLD), with the goal of global commercialization. The companies have signed a letter of intent (LOI) and are expected to sign a final agreement in the near future.
Aribio is currently conducting a global Phase 3 clinical trial for AR1001, an oral Alzheimer's treatment and PDE5 inhibitor. Through this, the company has demonstrated its research and development capabilities for related drugs and secured clinical references for new drug development.
Restari, through collaborative research with Dr. Robert Bacallao, an honorary professor at Indiana University and a member of the American College of Physicians (FACP) and the American Society of Nephrology (FASN), has obtained results indicating that PDE5 inhibitors may be effective in treating cystic kidney diseases.
According to market research firm Spherical Insights, the global market for PKD treatments was valued at approximately $580 million (about KRW 753 billion) in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.7%, reaching about $1.01 billion (about KRW 1.313 trillion) by 2033.
Jaejoon Jung, CEO of Aribio, stated, "By discovering new efficacy for PDE5 inhibitors, we have established a new pipeline in addition to AR1001," and added, "If we succeed in developing a new drug, we could generate up to KRW 1.2 trillion in revenue."
Matt Hedrick, CEO of Restari, said, "After Dr. Bacallao discovered the potential of PDE5 inhibitors, he actively pursued research with Aribio, which has relevant clinical references," and continued, "Through this joint project, we aim to develop a new drug that will address the liver toxicity issues of currently marketed treatments."
Meanwhile, Aribio is in the process of merging with Solux. The merger date for the two companies is set for August 1.
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