SK Biopharmaceuticals said on the 3rd that it signed a contract on the 31st to push joint research and development (R&D) of a candidate therapy for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using modulation of the neuroimmune system with Interon Laboratories in the United States.
Neuroimmunology is a field that deals with the interaction between the nervous and immune systems and is drawing attention as a new breakthrough for developing treatments for central nervous system (CNS) disorders.
Interon is a Boston-based U.S. biotech company co-founded in 2020 by Harvard Medical School Professor Heo Jun-ryeol and MIT Professor Gloria Choi, and it is focusing on developing small-molecule therapies for CNS disorders by modulating the neuroimmune system. The company also has the capability to rapidly identify active compounds at the early drug discovery stage using its proprietary platform technology.
SK Biopharmaceuticals and Interon plan to develop a first-in-class preclinical candidate for ASD. The company said it already secured an early hit molecule and expects faster candidate discovery and a higher chance of success.
The company explained that it aims to develop an IL-17 activator compound that improves autism symptoms by strengthening the signaling pathway of IL-17 receptors on brain neurons through interleukin-17 (IL-17) secreted by immune cells. If results are achieved, SK Biopharmaceuticals will have the right to enter into an exclusive contract for the compound.
Lee Dong-hoon, president of SK Biopharmaceuticals, said, "This joint research is an important milestone as SK Biopharmaceuticals adopts neuroimmunology as a new growth axis and moves to develop next-generation CNS therapies," adding, "We will accelerate our 'Next CNS Strategy' based on open innovation and continue to expand our therapeutic areas and pipeline in the global market."