HK Innoen and Kain Science to Jointly Develop Sarcopenia Treatment and Advance to Phase 2 Clinical Trials

HK Innoen is accelerating the expansion of its portfolio in geriatric and metabolic diseases by launching full-scale development of a treatment for sarcopenia.

On November 18, HK Innoen announced that it has recently signed a joint research and development agreement with Kain Science for 'KINE-101', a new drug candidate based on an inflammation-regulating peptide, aimed at treating sarcopenia.

Kwak Dalwon, CEO of HK Innoen (right), and Cho Daeho, CEO of Kain Science (left), are taking a commemorative photo for the signing of a joint research and development agreement. HK Innoen

Under this agreement, HK Innoen will lead the domestic Phase 2 clinical trial of KINE-101, while Kain Science will be responsible for the production of investigational drugs and technical support for the clinical trial.

The two companies plan to work closely together to ensure a swift entry into clinical trials and to secure the potential for domestic commercialization, with the goal of entering Phase 2 clinical trials next year.

'KINE-101' is an innovative new drug candidate derived from 'ERDR1' (Erythroid Differentiation Regulator 1), a protein essential for regulating inflammatory responses. It maintains immune system balance and has mechanisms for alleviating inflammation.

This substance has completed Phase 1 clinical trials in the United States as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, and clinical trials have also been completed in Korea for patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). It has also successfully completed non-clinical studies for the sarcopenia indication.

Sarcopenia can result from various causes such as aging, obesity, and metabolic disorders, and the number of patients is rapidly increasing as the global population ages. In Korea, the prevalence of sarcopenia among people aged 65 and older is reported to be about 9.5% for men and about 9.3% for women, and the demand for related treatments continues to rise.

With this joint development agreement, HK Innoen also expects a synergistic effect in improving muscle mass loss when 'IN-B0009', its obesity treatment currently in Phase 3 clinical trials in Korea, is administered in combination. Most obesity treatments currently developed or under development have the limitation of causing muscle loss along with weight reduction, so KINE-101 is expected to offer differentiated value as a muscle-preserving therapy.

Kwak Dalwon, CEO of HK Innoen, stated, "We are continuously strengthening our portfolio of chronic disease treatments to prepare for an aging society. In addition to securing a leading position in the domestic market, we will actively pursue global technology transfer and focus on developing a treatment for sarcopenia in collaboration with Kain Science."

Cho Daeho, CEO of Kain Science, said, "KINE-101 is an innovative peptide drug candidate that restores immune homeostasis by activating regulatory T cells (Treg), and it has shown therapeutic potential in various immune and inflammatory diseases. Through this collaboration, we will successfully lead the development of a treatment for geriatric sarcopenia."

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