Venobio Publishes Preclinical Results of Next-Generation Osteoarthritis Drug Candidate in International Journal

Venobio, a subsidiary of KOSDAQ-listed company Venoty&R, announced on the 30th that the non-clinical study results of its osteoarthritis treatment candidate 'BBRP11041' have been officially published in the international journal Frontiers in Immunology. The title of the published paper is "A novel carboxamide bromodomain inhibitor attenuates osteoarthritis via epigenetic repression of NF-κB and MAPK signaling."

This study found that BBRP11041, an epigenetic-based bromodomain inhibitor, demonstrated dual action in an osteoarthritis (OA) animal model by effectively suppressing inflammatory responses when administered orally or intra-articularly, while simultaneously promoting regeneration of chondrocytes. In particular, by epigenetically inhibiting the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways, BBRP11041 presented the potential as a disease-modifying therapy, distinguishing itself from existing NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and anti-inflammatory agents. This research was a result of Venobio's non-clinical studies on BBRP11041, conducted in collaboration with Professor Yang Siyoung's team at Sungkyunkwan University.

Osteoarthritis is a representative degenerative joint disease, and most treatments have focused on pain and inflammation control, which has limited their ability to provide fundamental cures. BBRP11041 is drawing attention as a treatment that can slow the fundamental progression of the disease and support functional recovery through multiple mechanisms, including suppression of inflammatory cytokine expression, reduction of cartilage matrix-degrading enzymes, and induction of chondrocyte differentiation.

A Venobio official stated, "The publication of this paper is an internationally recognized example of the scientific validation of Venobio's epigenetic-based new drug platform technology. It will serve as a catalyst to accelerate subsequent clinical trials and global technology out-licensing."

According to market research firm Grand View Research, the global market size for osteoarthritis treatments is expected to grow from approximately $9.1 billion last year to $13.5 billion in 2030, with an average annual growth rate of 6.9%. The domestic osteoarthritis treatment market is projected to grow from $253.1 million in 2023 to $474.5 million in 2030, with an average annual growth rate of 9.4%, surpassing the global market growth rate, due to the rapid increase in the elderly population.

Venobio Vice President Lee Inhyun explained, "Currently, more than 50% of the osteoarthritis treatment market consists of analgesic anti-inflammatory drugs, and there are also hyaluronic acid treatments. However, these have issues such as cardiovascular side effects and short half-lives. Cell therapy or artificial joint treatments require direct injections or surgery, making them unsuitable for early-stage patients and requiring high costs. In contrast, BBRP11041 is a new drug that minimizes side effects compared to existing treatments and demonstrates excellent effects in inflammation suppression and cartilage regeneration." He added, "Based on these results, we expect to accelerate clinical development and technology out-licensing discussions for BBRP11041."

Meanwhile, Venobio is attracting attention as a bio company with a diverse pipeline for age-related diseases, including osteoarthritis treatments, macular degeneration treatments, and pan-KRAS inhibitor anticancer drugs.