ARIBIO Signs Exclusive U.S. License Agreement for Next-Generation PDE-5 Inhibitor Technology

On January 23, ARIBIO announced that it has signed an exclusive license agreement with Restari, a U.S.-based company specializing in kidney diseases, to expand the application of its next-generation phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor-based drug technology to rare kidney and liver diseases.

Through this agreement, Restari has secured exclusive global rights for the development and commercialization of ARIBIO's treatment programs for polycystic kidney disease and polycystic liver disease. The Eurasian regional rights previously held by ARIBIO are excluded from this agreement, and those rights will remain with ARIBIO.

The contract is valued at up to $230 million (approximately 330 billion KRW), including development and sales-based milestone payments. Royalties linked to post-commercialization sales will be paid separately. The company explained that this agreement has enabled it to establish a revenue structure based on milestone achievements and to clarify the potential for commercialization in the rare disease sector. ARIBIO is expanding the application of its technology into the kidney and liver disease fields, which have significant unmet medical needs, leveraging its research and development capabilities focused on neurological disorders.

Polycystic kidney disease and polycystic liver disease are representative rare and intractable diseases with limited treatment options. There have been ongoing concerns about the efficacy and safety of existing treatments, and demand for new therapeutic alternatives has continued.

Restari is a company specialized in kidney and liver diseases. Through research with Dr. Robert Bacallao, MD, Professor Emeritus at Indiana University and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP) and the American Society of Nephrology (FASN), Restari has established evidence that a PDE-5 inhibitor approach could be meaningful in the treatment of cystic diseases. The two companies plan to begin developing differentiated treatment programs through this collaboration.

Matthew Hedrick, CEO of Restari, stated, "Polycystic kidney disease and polycystic liver disease are areas with significant unmet medical needs. Our goal is to exclusively develop differentiated treatment programs and ultimately establish them as the first-line therapy for polycystic kidney disease in the long term."

Jaejoon Jung, CEO of ARIBIO, commented, "This agreement represents a strategic partnership that combines ARIBIO's preclinical and clinical development capabilities with Restari's disease-specific expertise. Through next-generation PDE-5 inhibitor-based technology, we will be able to offer practical treatment alternatives to patients with kidney and liver diseases."

Meanwhile, ARIBIO has signed cumulative contracts worth 2.99 trillion KRW through country-specific licensing agreements for AR1001, and with this new kidney and liver disease program agreement, the total contract value has reached 3.32 trillion KRW. The company plans to actively pursue a global commercialization strategy, including additional partnerships, focusing on major markets such as North America and Europe.

In addition, ARIBIO is currently pursuing a merger with KOSDAQ-listed company Solux, with the scheduled merger date set for May 7.