China based Simcere Pharmaceutical Group and Korea headquartered JW Pharmaceutical have announced a collaboration and exclusive license agreement for anti-gout drug candidate URC-102 in China (including Chinese Hongkong & Macao).

According to the agreement, Simcere will be responsible for the clinical research, registration and commercialization of URC-102 in China. Under the terms of the agreement, JWP will receive upfront payment, milestones and sales royalties from commercialization in China.

Gout is a serious, progressive and debilitating form of inflammatory arthritis. In most cases, it is caused by inefficient excretion of uric acid, resulting in hyperuricemia and the formation of crystal deposits of uric acid. URC-102 is a selective inhibitor of uric acid transporter (URAT-1). It is currently under Phase IIb clinical evaluation in patients with gout in South Korea.

At present, the prevalence of hyperuricemia in China is 10%, and there are about 130 million people at risk. The number of patients who suffer from gout is about 17 million, which has become the second most common metabolic disease in China. In addition, currently available treatments for gout are limited by their efficacy and safety profiles, presenting a huge unmet medical need for the condition.