April 24, 2024

• 

GC Pharma announced on April 4 that it has signed a deal with Clinigen KK in Japan to license out its Hunter syndrome treatment Hunterase ICV.

Hunter syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that interferes with the patient’s ability to break down and recycle certain complex sugars. Its symptoms include developmental delay, skeletal deformities and airway obstruction, and can ultimately lead to the patients death. The disease primarily affects boys aged under 20.
 

GC Pharma CEO Huh Eun-chul(left) and Clinigen KK Representative Director Yoshikazu Nakamura

Hunterase ICV, developed by GC Pharma, directly delivers the treatment to the brain cell and central nervous system by installing the device in the patient’s head.

“We are delighted to further enhance the value of Hunterase through this partnership,” said GC Pharma CEO Huh Eun-chul in a statement.

Clinigen KK Representative Director Yoshikazu Nakamura also noted that the company is proud to bring this innovative treatment to Japanese patients. “Hunter Syndrome is a complex disease with unmet medical needs. We earnestly hope that this product provides significant benefits to patients in Japan,” Nakamura said.

Through this contract, Clinigen KK has gained exclusive rights to develop and commercialize Hunterase ICV in Japan.

Clinigen KK will make an advance payment, but the Korean company declined to state the exact amount. GC Pharma will also receive additional royalties upon commercializing the drug.

The firm aims to apply for marketing approval in Japan before the end of this year. It estimates that there are around 150 patients suffering from Hunter syndrome in Japan.

Clinigen KK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Clinigen Group, a UK-based pharmaceutical company. It mainly focuses on the development and commercialization of medicines for rare diseases.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)