Kuria Therapeutics and Scohia Pharma Announce Licensing Agreement for Ophthalmic and Dermal Rights to SCO-116, A Novel Nrf2 Activator
Kuria Therapeutics and Japanese biotech company Scohia Pharma announced that the companies have entered into a licensing agreement under which Kuria may develop, manufacture, and commercialize worldwide the locally delivered formulations of SCO-116, one of Scohia's internally discovered novel Nrf2 activators, for prevention and/or treatment of eye and skin diseases. The initial topical ophthalmic solution product candidate containing SCO-116 has been designated by Kuria as KTX-101.
Under the terms of the agreement, Scohia Pharma will receive an upfront payment as well as additional milestone payments of up to $67 million if certain global regulatory, development, and sales milestones are achieved. Scohia Pharma is also eligible to receive tiered royalties as a percentage of net sales. Kuria will be responsible for worldwide development, manufacturing, and commercialization in the selected indications with the oversight of a Joint Steering Committee comprised of individuals from both companies, while Scohia Pharma retains the worldwide rights for SCO-116 for local delivery other than for eye and skin diseases as well as the systemic formulation.
The Nrf2 pathway is widely recognized as the master regulator of the antioxidant response, and plays a key role in cellular defense against external insults and pathogens, as well as the regulation of the inflammatory response. Activation of Nrf2 may be beneficial in a wide array of diseases of the eye and skin involving oxidative stress and inflammation, and has been demonstrated to be beneficial in preclinical models of multiple eye diseases, including ocular surface disease, corneal dystrophies, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic eye disease. The R&D team at Scohia has discovered SCO-116, a novel, potent, selective activator of the Nrf2 pathway with demonstrated activity in multiple animal disease models. The licensing agreement announced today will allow Kuria to develop locally delivered formulations of SCO-116 in ophthalmic and dermal disease.