Inventera, a company specializing in the research and development of nanomedicines, announced on December 16 that its high-performance nano-MRI contrast agent drug candidate, 'INV-002,' has been selected as an outstanding project for 2025 by the Korea Drug Development Fund (KDDF).
The project selected as an outstanding project is titled 'Phase 2b Clinical Study for Advancing the Iron-Based High-Performance T1-MRI Contrast Agent Drug Candidate (INV-002) to Phase 3.' Since being chosen as a KDDF-supported project in 2023, Inventera has carried out the project for about two years, receiving a total of 6.4 billion won in research and development funding.
The National New Drug Development Project is a cross-ministerial program jointly promoted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to support new drug development. The selection of this outstanding project signifies that INV-002 has successfully achieved all of its research objectives and has been officially recognized for its technological and business achievements.
Through KDDF support, Inventera successfully completed the domestic Phase 2b clinical trial of INV-002. Based on this, the company obtained approval for the domestic Phase 3 clinical trial plan (IND) as well as IND approval for the Phase 2b clinical trial from the U.S. FDA. INV-002 is a nano-MRI contrast agent specialized for MR arthrography. The company is currently conducting Phase 3 clinical trials in Korea and is also proceeding step by step with the product approval process.
The company stated, "We understand that nine projects were finally selected as outstanding projects out of 496, based on a comprehensive evaluation of achievement of research objectives, clinical progress, technological innovation, and future commercialization potential," adding, "This selection confirms the development achievements of INV-002 to the public."
Inventera's follow-up pipeline, 'INV-003,' has also been selected as the second preclinical stage project for 2025 by KDDF, continuing the company's success with national projects. INV-003 is an oral nano-MRI contrast agent candidate specialized for MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). It is being developed with the goal of enabling precise diagnosis of pancreatobiliary diseases such as pancreatic cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, and pancreatic cysts. With this project selection, Inventera plans to accelerate the preclinical development of INV-003 and aims to enter clinical trials next year.
Based on its proprietary drug delivery nanostructure platform technology, 'Invinity™,' Inventera has established a high-performance nano-MRI contrast agent pipeline including INV-001, INV-002, and INV-003. The company recently strengthened its intellectual property foundation by registering related core patents in the United States.
Inventera CEO Shin Taehyun stated, "The selection of this outstanding project officially confirms the clinical achievements and commercialization potential of INV-002 through KDDF's evaluation," adding, "We will accelerate the development of our follow-up pipeline based on the success of our lead pipeline and strengthen our competitiveness in the global market."
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