BridgeBio Receives 2.1 Billion Milestone for Ulcerative Colitis Treatment

Daewoong Pharmaceutical Technology Export 'BBT-401'
Milestone Following Completion of Phase 1 Clinical Trial
Phase 2a Clinical Trial Dosing Also Completed

Bridge Biotherapeutics logo (Photo by Bridge Biotherapeutics)

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Bridge Biotherapeutics announced on the 1st that it received a technology milestone payment of $1.5 million (approximately 2.1 billion KRW) from its Asian regional licensing partner, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, following the completion of the Phase 1 clinical trial of its ulcerative colitis treatment candidate ‘BBT-401’ in China.

Bridge Biotherapeutics initiated the Phase 1 clinical trial of BBT-401 in China last year. The trial, conducted to evaluate safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic (PK) data, was successfully completed.

Currently, Bridge Biotherapeutics is conducting a multinational Phase 2a clinical trial of BBT-401. The trial, carried out in five countries?Korea, the United States, Ukraine, New Zealand, and Poland?with medium and high dose groups, has now completed dosing.

BBT-401 is the first candidate in the Pellino-1 inhibitor class being developed as a treatment for ulcerative colitis. It works by inhibiting the Pellino-1 protein, which is involved in various inflammatory signaling pathways, thereby suppressing inflammation. When administered orally, it acts locally within the gastrointestinal tract, minimizing systemic exposure and associated side effects, thus demonstrating drug safety.

Previously, in 2018, Bridge Biotherapeutics licensed the rights to BBT-401 for 22 Asian countries, including Korea, China, and Japan, to Daewoong Pharmaceutical. The total contract amount was $40 million (approximately 56.9 billion KRW). Beyond a simple technology transfer, the two companies are jointly developing BBT-401. Accordingly, clinical trials conducted or ongoing, including those in the Asian region, are being carried out collaboratively.

Jungkyu Lee, CEO of Bridge Biotherapeutics, stated, “We are very honored to have completed the Phase 1 clinical trial in China based on close cooperation with Daewoong Pharmaceutical,” adding, “We will accelerate development to introduce new options that are safer and improve treatment efficacy and convenience in the global ulcerative colitis treatment market, including Asia.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.