Viridian Therapeutics Enters Collaboration to Develop and Commercialize Thyroid Eye Disease Therapies in Japan

Viridian Therapeutics announced an exclusive collaboration and license agreement with Kissei Pharmaceutical to develop and commercialize investigatonal drug candidates veligrotug and VRDN-003 in Japan.

Both veligrotug and VRDN-003 are anti-insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) antibodies in development for the potential treatment of thyroid eye disease (TED). VRDN-003, a half-life extended, subcutaneous formulation sharing the same binding domain as veligrotug, is also being evaluated for TED.

Under the terms of the agreement, Viridian will grant Kissei an exclusive license to develop and commercialize veligrotug and VRDN-003 in Japan. Viridian will receive an upfront cash payment of $70 million, with the potential for up to $315 million in additional development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments. Viridian will also be eligible for tiered royalties on net sales in Japan, ranging from the 20s to the mid-30s percentage range. Kissei will assume responsibility for all development, regulatory, and commercialization activities and associated costs in Japan.

“After running a very competitive partnering process, we are thrilled to partner with Kissei to bring these potential best-in-class medicines to TED patients in Japan,” Steve Mahoney, President and CEO of Viridian, said in a company news release. “Kissei has a strong track record of successfully developing and commercializing rare disease medicines. Their expertise and commitment make them the ideal partner for advancing these important programs in Japan.”