Ildong Pharmaceutical Accelerates New Drug Development for Chronic Intractable Diseases like Parkinson's and Diabetes

Ildong Pharmaceutical is accelerating the development of new drugs in the chronic and intractable disease sectors. This comes as the company pursues a research and development (R&D) strategy targeting chronic and intractable diseases, which have high growth potential and significant unmet needs.

Exterior view of Ildong Pharmaceutical headquarters. [Photo by Ildong Pharmaceutical]

According to Ildong Pharmaceutical on the 19th, changes in people's lifestyles and increased life expectancy have led to a rise in the prevalence of chronic and intractable diseases, as well as growing interest and expectations for the development of treatments reflected in the global pharmaceutical market.

Accordingly, Ildong Pharmaceutical participated in global pharmaceutical and bio conferences such as 'BIO USA' and 'BIO JAPAN' held this year, showcasing promising new drug pipelines in areas including ▲ metabolic diseases like diabetes ▲ degenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease. The company reported that new drug candidates such as ‘ID119040338’ and ‘ID110521156’ attracted significant attention from overseas companies, and various discussions on open innovation and license-out (technology transfer) were conducted.

ID119040338 is a new drug candidate targeting Parkinson's disease, a degenerative disorder, and is a dual antagonist that simultaneously inhibits adenosine A1 and A2A receptors. Antagonistic action on the A1 and A2A adenosine receptors synergizes with dopamine signaling in the striatum, part of the basal ganglia in the brain, improving motor symptoms and enhancing cognitive function, attention, and arousal disorders.

Preclinical studies have shown that ID119040338 has excellent oral absorption and superior blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. In efficacy studies using animal models induced with Parkinson's disease, it demonstrated greater improvement in motor symptoms compared to competing drugs. Furthermore, Ildong Pharmaceutical emphasized that unlike existing treatments targeting dopamine, one of the central nervous system neurotransmitters, ID119040338 is a non-dopaminergic drug that does not directly regulate dopamine secretion, thereby avoiding dopamine-related side effects and distinguishing itself.

Ildong Pharmaceutical plans to complete efficacy and toxicity tests required for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND) application within this year and to commence full-scale clinical development, including global Phase 1 trials, starting next year.

The new drug candidate for metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, ‘ID110521156,’ belongs to the glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 receptor agonist class of drugs and acts as a GLP-1 hormone analog that induces insulin secretion in the body to regulate blood glucose levels. The GLP-1 hormone is produced by beta cells in the pancreas and is known to be involved in insulin synthesis and secretion, reduction of blood glucose levels, regulation of gastrointestinal motility, and appetite suppression.

Ildong Pharmaceutical recently obtained approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for the IND application related to ID110521156 for Phase 1 clinical trials. The company plans to evaluate the tolerability, safety, and pharmacokinetic properties of ID110521156 and, depending on the progress of clinical development and commercialization, intends to develop it as a new drug targeting type 2 diabetes and obesity.

ID110521156 is a synthetic drug candidate based on a compound. This contrasts with existing GLP-1 receptor agonists, which are mainly peptide-based biologics administered via injection. By leveraging its structurally stable characteristics compared to peptide formulations, the strategy is to differentiate it as an orally administered therapeutic with superior manufacturing efficiency and productivity, as well as convenience for patients.

Previously, through preclinical trials including efficacy and toxicity evaluations using disease animal models, Ildong Pharmaceutical demonstrated the efficacy of ID110521156 in insulin secretion and blood glucose regulation, as well as superior safety compared to competing drugs in the same class.

An Ildong Pharmaceutical representative stated, "Along with advancing clinical development of these pipelines, we are engaged in discussions on business partnerships such as license-out and open innovation with numerous global companies. We are also concurrently securing rights to new drug substances, including patent acquisition, to gain advantageous conditions for commercialization."

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