Aribio announced on June 10 that it has signed a technology export agreement with Arcera, a global pharmaceutical company established by Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ), a sovereign wealth fund of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The total value of the contract is $600 million (approximately 820 billion KRW), and the subject of the technology export is AR1001, an oral treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
This agreement grants Arcera exclusive rights to AR1001 in the Middle East, Latin America, Africa, Ukraine, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) regions. The deal was made proactively before the announcement of global Phase 3 clinical trial results. It is also a representative case achieved through the Korea Development Bank's 'Global Partnership Support Program.'
Arcera is a life sciences company established by ADQ to foster the bio and pharmaceutical industries, and currently supplies over 2,000 pharmaceutical products to more than 90 countries. AR1001 will be incorporated as a core neuroscience pipeline for Arcera, with accelerated development aimed at transforming the treatment paradigm in the Middle East and emerging markets.
With this contract, Aribio has secured a total of approximately 1.94 trillion KRW in global technology export achievements, including deals with Samjin Pharmaceutical in Korea (100 billion KRW), a Chinese pharmaceutical company (1.02 trillion KRW), and UAE's Arcera (820 billion KRW). After the announcement of global Phase 3 clinical trial results scheduled for the first half of next year, technology transfer agreements targeting major markets such as the United States, Europe, and Japan are expected to begin in earnest, and Aribio is currently engaged in strategic negotiations with multiple global pharmaceutical companies.
AR1001 is an oral Alzheimer's treatment based on a phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor developed by SK Chemicals. It is capable of fundamental treatment through multiple mechanisms, including neuroprotection, toxic protein clearance, and improvement of cerebral blood flow. The ongoing global Phase 3 clinical trial has completed enrollment of 1,500 patients, surpassing the target of 1,150 patients across 13 countries.
A representative from Aribio stated, "This agreement has increased confidence in the global competitiveness and commercialization potential of AR1001, as it is a strategic partnership based on ADQ's financial resources and network. We are also in discussions regarding global manufacturing rights based on SK Chemicals' EU-GMP certified production facilities, so global market expansion after commercialization is expected to proceed smoothly."
The representative added, "We are also in talks regarding an investment by the UAE sovereign wealth fund in Aribio. This is significant as it represents a global expansion model for the domestic bio industry, combining three pillars: long-term capital investment from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds, linkage with policy finance, and the company's technological capabilities, going beyond simple technology transfer."
Aribio is currently pursuing a merger with Kosdaq-listed company Solux. The merger date is scheduled for August 26.
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