OliX Pharmaceuticals said on the 11th that it signed an option contract with Swedish biotech company "Key2Brain AB" to evaluate drug delivery technology and consider a technology in-license for developing treatments for central nervous system (CNS) diseases.
The core of the contract is to jointly verify how efficiently drugs can be delivered to brain tissue by combining Key2Brain's "blood-brain barrier (BBB) shuttle" technology with OliX Pharmaceuticals' siRNA (a therapeutic material that regulates gene expression) candidates for CNS diseases.
The blood-brain barrier serves as a protective shield that strictly blocks substances in the bloodstream from entering the brain, making delivery technologies that can cross this barrier a key challenge in developing treatments for brain diseases.
The two companies plan to evaluate whether the conjugate actually reaches brain tissue well and whether it is technically suitable through joint research.
The contract also includes an option for OliX Pharmaceuticals to have the first opportunity to secure exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize therapies for specific CNS disease targets during the research period. If the research confirms the technology's suitability and efficacy, OliX Pharmaceuticals will decide whether to obtain a global exclusive license for therapies using Key2Brain's BBB shuttle platform.
Key2Brain has BBB shuttle technology that targets the "transferrin receptor (TfR)." TfR is a protein abundantly present in brain microvascular endothelial cells, and using it can transport drugs into the brain, making it a representative delivery route in CNS drug development.
The company's BBB shuttle is a delivery vehicle based on a small antibody fragment called "VHH," and is being applied to send various therapeutic components—such as enzymes, antibodies, peptides, and gene therapies—to the brain. Preclinical studies have confirmed brain delivery efficiency and target-binding potential, and it is currently being used in in-house research and global collaboration projects. Some programs have also incorporated half-life extension technologies to keep drugs in the body longer.
This contract is part of OliX Pharmaceuticals' push to make the CNS field a key growth pillar under its mid- to long-term strategy, the "OliX 2.0 roadmap." The company plans to proactively secure BBB shuttle technologies to build an siRNA-based brain disease delivery platform and strengthen competitiveness with a "multi-BBB shuttle" strategy that secures multiple delivery technologies simultaneously.
Chief Executive Lee Dong-gi of OliX Pharmaceuticals said, "Because brain disease drug delivery technologies require long-term validation, it is important to secure BBB shuttles with high clinical applicability early," adding, "Through collaboration with Key2Brain, we will gradually advance our siRNA-based CNS delivery strategy step by step."