Yuhan and Gilead agree to develop novel therapeutic candidates for NASH

By Lim Chang-won Posted : January 7, 2019, 10:22 Updated : January 7, 2019, 10:22

[Courtesy of Yuhan]


SEOUL -- Yuhan, a pharmaceutical and chemical company in South Korea, agreed with Gilead Sciences, an American biopharmaceutical company, to co-develop novel therapeutic candidates for the treatment of patients with advanced fibrosis due to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

NASH is a chronic and progressive liver disease characterized by fat accumulation and inflammation in the liver, which can lead to scarring, or fibrosis, that impairs liver function.

Under a licensing and collaboration agreement, Gilead will acquire global rights to develop and commercialize novel small molecules against two undisclosed targets in all countries, Yuhan said Monday in a regulatory filing. In South Korea, Yuhan will retain certain commercialization rights.

Yuhan will receive an upfront payment of $15 million and up to $770 million in additional payments upon achievement of certain development and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on future net sales. Gilead is responsible for global clinical development and commercialization.

"This collaboration builds on our long-term partnership with Yuhan, with a new focus on the investigation of novel approaches to treat patients with advanced fibrosis due to NASH that complement our ongoing research programs," Gilead's chief scientific officer John McHutchison said in a joint statement.

"We are confident that Gilead’s expertise in liver disease will accelerate the development of our novel agents," Yohan CEO Lee Jung-hee said. Yuhan's subsidiaries include Yuhan-Kimberly, a joint venture with Kimberly-Clark, an American producer of paper-based consumer products.
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